Lionel Messi, muse of the Saudi Arabian destination, tackles prejudices

We would undoubtedly have preferred that he hit the ball hard to bring down the wall of shame in the occupied, tortured West Bank, rather than to abolish the walls of prejudice in the kingdom of which MBS is the omnipotent reforming prince… That would have had more panache!

But it’s another fight, much less risky and much more lucrative, that the superstar Lionel Messi fights, crampons on his feet, in the video clip (see below) of the new promotional campaign designed by the Saudi Arabia Tourism Authority (STA).

This major tourism campaign, which comes in the wake of the UN “Tourism Opens Minds” initiative, invites tourists from around the world to broaden their horizons. “ The world must experience the profound transformation currently taking place in the country “, states an official press release.

With a lot of powerful shots, the sporting icon king metaphorically breaks the barriers that obscure Saudi diversity, tackles the preconceived ideas that surround the Wahhabi kingdom to better challenge them, surpass them, as highlighted in the slogan: “ Saudi Arabia, beyond preconceived ideas “. And clearly, the Argentinian is having a blast.

The campaign also highlights the importance of encouraging “ young Saudi women reach their full potential “, through the tribute paid to pioneers, such as the players of the national women’s football team, the motorsport champion Dania Akeel, or the DJ Cosmicat and Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Arab woman to fly in the space.

In these disastrous hours in Gaza, we would undoubtedly have preferred that Messi had fired a masterful, thundering shot, which could pulverize the stainless wall of impunity which continues, even at the height of horror, to protect Israel from its atrocious abuses. But this is another fight, where there are certainly more blows to be taken than money…