Billion-dollar US PR firm helps cleans Saudi image while campaigning against ‘autocrats’

American public relations firm, Edelman, has received some $10 million for helping Saudi Arabia clean up its image, according to the Guardian. ​

Richard Edelman, CEO of the $1 billion firm, signed deals with the kingdom over the past four years to sanitize its image despite being a leading campaigner against doing business with autocratic regimes.

The Guardian report contrasted Edelman’s public image as a global campaigner against autocrats and the services he had provided to Saudi Arabia. Edelman did not reply to questions asked by the British daily about the alleged hypocrisy of his firm.

Writing in June a blog post about the key geopolitical issue of our time, Edelman said that he was “more convinced than ever” that the global rift between democracy and autocracy is the defining issue and that around the world, “autocracy is making gains against democracy.”

Edelman’s image as a crusader against business with autocrats was further enhanced earlier this year during the gathering of the World Economic Forum. He published a “special report” on the trust barometer focused on geopolitics. The company said that 59 percent of survey respondents agreed that “punish[ing] countries that violate human rights and international law” is a “business responsibility”.

But the Guardian claims that Edelman is failing to take his own advice because of his lucrative business ties to Saudi Arabia and with its Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman. Most of Edelman’s work for Riyadh has focused on rehabilitating its reputation in the US.

The work of the PR firm directed at American audiences is projected to net Edelman more than $5.6 million) in fees. This included sending regular press releases that celebrate topics such as “mainstreaming women in business” and “doubling down efforts to empower women and youth.” NEOM-related projects are expected to earn Edelman more than $3 million.

The Guardian reported that on 31 May 2022, only days before Edelman published his blog post warning of the growing divide between democracy and autocracy, he signed a $787,500 contract to provide the Saudi ministry of culture with “PR and communications services”.

Several other US firms doing PR work to clean Saudi Arabia’s image were also mentioned in the report including McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Hogan Lovells, and Qorvis Communications.