This is a PR drive to scrub the kingdom's tarnished reputation worldwide. It's just that the journalist they murdered in 2018 is dead and isn't coming back. And that's just the most obvious legacy without diving into internal politics or regional shenanigans. And that's not to mention that Qatar stole the Saudi thunder in mediation and the displaced power broker is looking for a new game, so to speak.
HRW: "Vision 2030 (a major Saudi government investment plan) is the core economic diversification plan for Saudi Arabia, and within the earliest versions of this plan it explicitly stated that these large investments in sports entertainment options was part of a strategy to enhance the reputation of the country nationally."
VIsion 2030: https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/en
Eurogamer: EA's takeover, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, and "vanity mega projects": Human Rights Watch assesses the impact of gaming's latest controversy https://www.eurogamer.net/eas-takeover-the-saudi-arabian-public-investment-fund-and-vanity-mega-projects-human-rights-watch-assesses-the-impact-of-gamings-latest-controversy @eurogamer #ElectronicArts #EA