In the latest episode of the True Faith podcast, Alex Hurst has been speaking to Middle East expert Dr Neil Quilliam associate fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme with Chatham House.
In this podcast, he discussed why Saudi Arabia wants to invest in Newcastle and what he thinks the WTO report will mean for the proposed takeover of the Toon.
Hurst asked him a question about the recent WTO report into piracy:
“We’ve heard a lot as Newcastle United supporters about the WTO and their report last week into piracy. Are the Qataris seeing that as a major victory, or will time tell?”
Here is how Dr Quilliam responded to the question:
“I think time will tell – this sort of debate this area is so polarised, it’s so toxic.
“Even for analysts such as myself, I mean, since this rift really took place, a lot of analysts will find themselves on one side of the divide, so it’s become really polarised.
“It’s hard to tell how this will really play out, but I guess in the immediate time it’s to see when the English Premier League makes its decision, and that will be the clear point as to whether this is a victory for one side or the other.”
It seems as if Dr Quilliam is not sure what to make of the WTO’s report, and it appears as if he, like the rest of us, are waiting for the Premier League’s decision.
Do you think the Premier League will use the WTO report?
Yes, but the ruling wasn't that bad
No, I hope not
TIF Thoughts…
This is a brilliant podcast, and Dr Quilliam talks very well throughout and provides some interesting points for Newcastle fans.
The WTO’s report that is mentioned in the podcast concluded that beoutQ was operated from Saudi Arabia and was controlled by people from within the country; however, it didn’t level any direct accusations at anyone in the Saudi state. (Summary provided by Scott Wilson)
Since then, Saudi Arabia have announced an official crackdown on piracy and also sent a letter to major sports bodies accepting responsibility for tackling piracy.
It seems as if these moves have been positive for the Toon’s takeover with a PL decision now just days away.
So, it seems as if this takeover saga is coming to an end.