Women’s Empowerment and Authoritarian Resilience: a Critical Analysis of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030

Nation branding is an important factor of international image management which has gained increasing importance for nations worldwide. Since 2018, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has embarked on a journey to enhance its global sports recognition and reputation by strategically investing in football. This research article examines the efforts and challenges Saudi Arabia faces in investing in football as an important tool for country branding. The research will adopt a quantitative approach through the analysis of Twitter to explore the impact of football on Saudi Arabia's nation branding initiatives. It focuses on various dimensions, such as how culture is promoted, economic development, tourism, and global visibility achieved through football as a brand. The findings of this research provide insights into the field of nation branding which can be of further use to policymakers, academicians, and sports officials who are interested in the intersection of sports, culture, and nation branding. The study aims to focus on Saudi Arabia's government-centric approach to nation branding through football and focuses on finding out the complex nature of utilizing football to promote the country's pursuit of global recognition and reputation enhancement.

One consequence of the hype around globalization and education and debates on global political actors such as the World Bank, IMF and WTO—is that there has not been sufficient attention paid by education theorists to the development of a rigorous set of analytic categories that might enable us to make sense of the profound changes which now characterize education in the new millennium. 1 This is not a problema confined to education. Writing in the New Left Review, Fredric Jameson observes that debates on globalization have tended to be shaped by “…ideological appropriations— discussions not of the process itself, but of its effects, good or bad: judgements, in other words, totalizing in nature; while functional descriptions tend to isolate particular elements without relating them to each other.” In this paper we start from the position that little or nothing can be explained in terms of the causal powers of globalization; rather we shall be suggesting that globalization is the outcome of processes that involve real actors—economic and political—with real interests. Following Martin Shaw, we also take the view that globalization does not undermine the state but includes the transformation of state forms; “…it is both predicated on and produces such transformations.”3 Examining how these processes of transformation work, however, requires systematic investigation into the organization and strategies of particular actors whose horizons or effects might be described as global.

This study investigates the role of international player signings in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) as a strategic tool for enhancing Saudi Arabia’s nation branding and international public relations (PR) strategies. The research is grounded in theoretical frameworks including Sporting Diplomacy Theory, Nation Branding Theory, Soft Power Theory, Public Relations Theory, Social Identity Theory, and Global Media and Communication Theories. Through qualitative analysis of global news articles, reviews, and academic sources, the study examines the impact of high-profile international players joining the SPL on Saudi Arabia’s international image and soft power. The findings reveal that the SPL’s international signings have led to increased visibility, media coverage, and social media engagement for both the league and the country. These signings foster cultural exchange, intercultural dialogue, and positive perceptions of Saudi Arabia as a diverse and dynamic nation. Moreover, the study suggests that the use of football and renowned players as cultural ambassadors contributes to Saudi Arabia’s strategic communication goals and nation branding efforts. The research concludes with recommendations for further leveraging the SPL’s international signings to enhance Saudi Arabia’s global image, soft power, and diplomatic relations. The study contributes to the understanding of how sports, particularly football, can serve as an effective tool for nation branding and international PR strategies, offering insights for governments, institutions, and stakeholders seeking to strengthen their global presence.

What Does Globalization Mean for Educational Change? A Comparative Approach

This paper examines the internationalisation of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) through investments in elite sports teams abroad, applying Comparative Institutional Analysis (CIA) to uncover both economic and political motivations. While sports ownership offers stable revenue streams and global commercial opportunities absent in Gulf domestic markets, it also functions as a soft power tool, enabling states to embed themselves in host economies, repair reputations, and project legitimacy. Mapping the cases of Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) onto the IMF/Santiago Principles shows distinct institutional logics: QSI as a development fund driving diversification and nation branding, PIF as a stabilisation and reserve investment vehicle hedging oil dependence while embedding Saudi capital into global sport governance, and ADUG as a saving fund building a multiclub empire for long-term wealth preservation. The analysis extends CIA scholarship by demonstrating that SWF ownership of sports teams is not merely financial but strategically political, reflecting governments’ nonbusiness objectives and discreet power. Building on this, the paper develops a nascent theory of ‘sovereign sport-statecraft’, offering a typology of SWF sport investment logics and outlining policy implications for host governments, international sport governing bodies, and civil society.

There is a remarkable confidence in Irish culture right now. In the decade to 2024, Ireland successfully emerged from a devastating recession while overseeing significant investment by the State in the arts. A new generation of artists are shaping Irish identity, forged in the heat of a rapidly growing multicultural population, to construct a new national narrative of Ireland. This paper examines the instrumentalisation of artists in Ireland’s nation brand. Based on interviews with renowned Irish artists, the author applies an autoethnographic approach to capture specific insights from these elite expert informants. The study establishes that artists are complicit in their use of the arts as a tool of soft power. It confirms their unique role in building a nation’s reputation, and engaging international publics with the multiplicity of narratives, within an evolving Irish identity. It calls for a conceptual repositioning of artists as critical co-authors in effective nation branding.

Considering the importance of explaining how a nation brand is effectively managed and how nation branding aligns the nation's brand with country management so as to gain competitiveness, this research aims to assess the role of nation branding and to create a strategic management tool for nation branding to achieve sustainable competitiveness of nations. Focusing on performance in nation branding, the dissertation develops a brand management model towards a systematic and strategic application for nation branding. Adopting a deductive approach based on a five-step plan for systematic research, the study proposes the Nation-Branding Mechanism Model as a mechanism-based process model. To provide empirical evidence a case study methodology is implemented involving two countries: the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Ireland. Longitudinally, the research investigates contextual variables of the nation branding process and their dynamics in branding Korea and Ireland by analyzing the "Export, Science, Technology and Industry"-brand system of Korea and the "FDI, Industry, Enterprise and Knowledge"- brand system of Ireland. The study identifies the nation-specific branding mechanisms within their nation-brand systems and the similarities and differences in both nation branding processes. An important finding is that nation branding is a process that must align with country management to influence the sustainable competitiveness of a nation and that needs a systematic approach to building a nation brand. The mechanism-based process structures a set of activities carried out by branding actors. Moreover, nation branding is an ongoing and iterative process to develop a nation-brand system and to influence a nation's sustainable competitiveness. This research suggests the ‘Nation-Branding Mechanism Model’ as an effective model for explaining performance in nation branding. Through its development, this study contributes to building a body of knowledge concerning the role of nation branding as a strategic management tool for achieving sustainable competitiveness of nations.

Higher education has seen an unprecedented global development which led to its increased political, economic and cultural role. As knowledge and the capacity to apply it in practice become the strategic resources in contemporary time. Today, the role of higher education is increasingly growing in the foreign policy of countries as a tool for soft power. Developing the country's soft power and a positive image abroad by working with foreign publics is now key to creating an enabling environment for its foreign policy strategies and international standing in general. This article discusses the impact of higher education as a soft power on foreign policy the case study of Russia and Turkey in the Middle East and North Africa. The concepts of soft power and public diplomacy have become the catchwords among Turkish and Russian foreign policy. Over the past twenty years, Russia's and Turkey’s vision and understanding of soft power have developed. Starting by focusing on an image-heavy perspective of Russia's and Turkey's soft power tools development, one of the spheres in Russia and Turkey with a strong public diplomacy potential in terms of promoting direct and long-term people-to-people contacts is higher education. Russia and Turkey have a long history of higher education cooperation with foreign countries particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. Positioning Russian higher education system as one of its soft power tools is not only an efficient way of boosting the country's attractiveness and global competitiveness, it is equally a key means of developing its most resource. Higher education is one of the soft power tools of Turkish foreign policy and to enhance the attractiveness it’s in the middle east and north Africa. The article responds to the question, the extent to which higher education is a soft power on Russian and Turkish public diplomacy in the Middle East and North Africa.

In the context of the internationalization and marketization of higher education, it has become a trend for a nation to build its higher education brand for global competitiveness. This paper analyses what is seen as the urgent need to enhance China’s international education strategy and how branding has assisted in this process. Drawing on document analysis and employing Khanna, M., Jacob, I., & Yadav, N. (2014). Identifying and analyzing touchpoints for building a higher education brand. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 24(1), 122–143. brand touchpoint wheel model and Kaneva, N. (2011). Nation branding: Toward an agenda for critical research. International Journal of Communication, 5, 117–141. categories of nation branding, this research aims to explore the historical development of China’s HE brand building, its strategies and main characteristics, and its relations to broader nation branding. Suggestions are made to improve policymaking and strategy design in the future. The article contributes insights into China’s case and experience in building a national higher education brand, offering an example and reference for other countries.

This study analyzes Saudi Arabia’s soft power strategy in Indonesia through King Salman’s 2024 Umrah Program. The research focuses on the growing importance of religious diplomacy in strengthening bilateral relations, particularly between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority country. It examines how the program operates as a tool of soft power and its impact on bilateral ties. Using qualitative methods, this research relies on secondary data from government publications, media reports, and scholarly articles. Data collection involves document analysis, and thematic content analysis is employed to interpret the findings. The study reveals that the 2024 King Salman’s guest omra program effectively enhances Saudi Arabia’s religious diplomacy by fostering cultural and religious connections with Indonesia. The program reinforces Saudi Arabia’s leadership within the global Muslim community while promoting bilateral collaboration in areas like education and trade. However, challenges arise for Indonesia in balancing foreign influence with domestic priorities. The findings conclude this program is a strategic soft power tool that strengthens Saudi Arabia’s influence and improves bilateral relations with Indonesia. This research contributes to international relations by illustrating how religious diplomacy can serve as a non-coercive foreign policy instrument to build trust and cooperation between Muslim-majority nations.

Purpose The article investigates the contributions of social media influencers in enhancing Saudi Arabia’s national brand within global media narratives. It further examines how audiences engage with influencer-generated content and the degree to which engagement impacts Saudi Arabia’s global branding under Vision 2030. Methodology The study applies actor-network theory, the Ruler model of national branding, and the concept of digital diplomacy as its theoretical framework. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining a survey of 400 participants with a qualitative content analysis of the top-ranking influencer, Turki Al-Sheikh, identified through the survey’s open-ended responses. The qualitative findings were organized across eight analytical axes derived from Akker’s (2011) umbrella national branding model, allowing systematic interpretation within the framework of Vision 2030. A sample of 20 posts by Turki Al-Sheikh related to major cultural events (e.g., Riyadh Season, MDLBeast, Formula 1) was analyzed, and engagement metrics and audience perceptions were examined to assess the alignment of the influencer’s content with Saudi Arabia’s national branding goals. Findings The results demonstrate that social media influencers are vital contributors to Saudi Arabia’s digital diplomacy and soft power, supporting the Kingdom’s modernization and cultural renewal. The study highlights the importance of diversifying content, institutionalizing support systems, and addressing reputational risks to maximize influencers’ global impact. It also recommends closer collaboration between official entities and influencers, complemented by targeted training programs that encourage professional, authentic, and value-driven media content. Implications The findings illustrate how influencers leverage creative and interactive content to communicate a positive image of Saudi Arabia. The study provides insights for policymakers and practitioners regarding how governments can strategically partner with influencers to advance nation-branding objectives. Originality/value This research contributes to the literature by demonstrating the dual role of influencers as both cultural ambassadors and digital mediators of state-led branding strategies. It also identifies the potential and limitations of influencers as contemporary instruments of nation branding, particularly in the context of Vision 2030.

Emerald Studies in Higher Education, Innovation and Technology seeks to provide a multifaceted and interdisciplinary approach to these interconnected topics and invites proposals from all scholars working in these fields. The underlying purpose of this series is to demonstrate how innovations in education, educational technology and teaching can advance research and practice and help us respond to socio-economic changes and challenges. The series has a broad scope, covering many topics, including but not limited to learning analytics, open and distributed learning, technology enhanced learning, digital pedagogies, data mining, virtual and augmented realities, cloud computing, social media, educational robotics, flipped classrooms, active learning, innovation networks and many more.

In the domain of International Relations, sports diplomacy is seen as a crucial element, promoting joint actions in alleviating political rifts and strengthening soft power among states. The research work analyzes the diplomatic role of sports, examining how athletic activities and major sports events can contribute to today's global politics. Some of the past and present studies are explored in this research work. The key objective of the study is to effectively elaborate on the role of sports in resolving disputes, cultural connectivity, and nation branding. The study also suggests the dual nature of sports in bridging political divides and linking cultures yet it can be exploited for political agendas and interests. The study also highlights the interplay among sports diplomacy, soft power, and statecraft while arguing sports diplomacy is not a suitable replacement for traditional diplomacy.

Esports has rapidly transformed from a niche digital pastime into a global cultural industry with increasing diplomatic relevance. This study examines how esports operates as a tool of soft power, public diplomacy, and nation branding across four key countries—South Korea, China, the United States, and India—each reflecting distinct governance structures, platform ecosystems, and strategic communication logics. Drawing on contemporary research in soft power, sports diplomacy, and media globalization, the study shows that esports now functions as a youth-driven, digitally mediated channel of international influence. Comparative analysis reveals that South Korea integrates esports into the Hallyu cultural wave; China uses a state-led model tied to digital nationalism and platform sovereignty; the United States projects corporate soft power through global publishers and streaming platforms; and India leverages esports within its Digital India modernization framework. The study identifies core challenges, including governance fragmentation, legitimacy disputes, over-commercialization, integrity risks, and social stigma. It also highlights emerging opportunities in AI-enhanced integrity systems, metaverse-based competitions, and multilateral governance initiatives such as the Olympic Esports Series. Ultimately, the study argues that control over global distribution platforms is becoming as important as game development itself, positioning esports as a transformative diplomatic arena for shaping national identity, cultural visibility, and youth-oriented international engagement.

In the work, it is determined that the processes of globalization, characteristic of modern society, require an understanding of the problems of national revival, a reflection of the manifestation of the features of national culture in modern ethnodesign. Therefore, the study of its phenomenon in the system of ethno-cultural values as an important component of culture is relevant, because namely design affects the formation of the mentality of both an individual and the people in general. The role of ethnodesign as an element of culture in the context of globalization and multicultural transformations, in particular against the background of glocalization processes, is studied. It is shown that design today acts as a kind of intermediary, reproducing the peculiarities of the functioning of objects, things in the sphere of culture, performs sociocultural functions, increasing the value characteristics of the environment with its works. Conceptual provisions for the development of Ukrainian ethnodesign as a creative modernization of traditional artistic forms, creation of a cultural image and a national brand as a tool of soft power in the conditions of globalization are suggested.