Romano talks about the various projects, saying they “reflect Saudi Arabia’s leading humanitarian role”.

This, of course, is in direct conflict with other reports focusing on human rights within Saudi itself.

A report by the European Saudi Organization for Human Rights (ESOHR) in January After a record 345 executions in 2024, the country, under de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, carried out 347 executions in 2025, which it claimed marked a new high for the nation.

ESOHR adds that the majority of executions in 2025 (79%) were for crimes that failed to meet the international legal threshold of “the most serious crime” and mainly consisted of executions for drug-related charges (69% of all executions).

Romano drew criticism for the controversial video

Romano’s video marks another venture into the word of sport in an attempt to change the perception of Saudi Arabia, dubbed sportswashing by critics.

Saudi Arabia has become a major player in the global game in recent years, investing heavily through its Public Investment Fund (PIF).

PIF has four major stakeholders Pro League Clubs – Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Cristiano Ronaldo Al-Nasser. They are also part of the consortium that owns Premier League club Newcastle as well as making a splash in the golf world with the introduction of LIV. They have also hosted many major sporting events in Saudi Arabia, including world title fights and Formula One.

Romano was widely criticized for the video on X, with responses including “stick to transfers and not propaganda” and “in the same sentence Saudis and humanitarians should be ashamed of taking money for this”.