The Khashoggi affair seriously damaged the reputation of Saudi Arabia in Western public opinion. To restore its image, the kingdom is launching an information site in French: ArabNews.  

7:56 am, the hour of our international gaze with Jean-Sébastien Soldaïni. It is a novelty on the Internet that grabs your attention this Thursday. It is a French news site, ArabNews, launched by Saudi Arabia. 

A launch with great fanfare, on July 14, which smells good "the image buy-back operation". Almost to tell us that everything is rosy in Saudi Arabia. Everything is pink, up to the condition of women, since the only Saudi opera singer presented herself dressed in the western style, without any veil, to interpret "Life in pink". It is beautiful, it is sweet, but it is strange when one knows the obligations which weigh on women in the country and the sanctions which they undergo.

Each article title has its tint "Blue, white, red". It is about "love story between the Saudis and France ...", "French spirit" of "hyphens". In short, we flirt by promising original content and articles translated from the English version.

The English version, precisely, is a model. If you are looking for editorial independence and critics of power, not sure you are served. The website is owned by the royal family and is displayed as a showcase of this modern Arabia, embodied by the crown prince, MBS, Mohamed Ben Salman. The same man that the CIA suspects is behind the assassination of journalist Jammal Khashoggi, whose remains were allegedly dissolved and dumped in the sewers of Istanbul.

This Jean-Sébastien website is the rise of Saudi diplomacy.

Until now, Riyadh has been betting rather on "soft power", the "positive reputation" by hosting the Dakar rally, a cycling tour, the Spanish Super Cup ... And too bad if the athletes suffocate in overwhelming heat. There, with this site, those who risk suffocating are the readers. Saudi Arabia switches to Sputnik-style propaganda, the website that promotes the Kremlin and its actions abroad. The objective is to try to make people forget about the jumble: the assassination of journalist Khashoggi, the war in Yemen and the recent setback of the Gulf monarchies before the International Court of Justice, a decision in favor of a sworn enemy, Qatar. This country suffers an air blockade on the part of Saudi Arabia and there is no mention of that on the ArabNews site.

The Qatar that Saudi Arabia seeks to compete on all terrains.

Both literally and figuratively because Saudi Arabia is looking to increase its participation in football. The Kingdom is trying to invest in the English club in Newcastle. He would be especially behind the takeover offer of Olympique de Marseille. A great way to compete with the Qataris, owners of PSG. 

This is another way of proceeding, diplomacy through sport, always for the sake of image. But beware, it might get stuck. In England, it is a chain of Qatar which has the television rights for the diffusion of the matches and it blocks the repurchase of Newcastle. Not everything is rosy for the Saudis.