After the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, many companies had to urgently decide whether to attend Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative, a global business conference scheduled to take place just days after news of Khashoggi’s killing broke.
When a Country is Facing Political and Human Rights Issues, Should Businesses Leave or Stay?
They should think about their customers and take a long-term view.
December 17, 2018
Summary.
Questions involving issues like politics, human rights, or equality present themselves sooner or later for any business operating in global markets. After the murder of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, many business executives urgently needed to answer just these sort of questions. The first thing to note is that a decision based on short-term financial or legal motives alone is destined to end in problems. Companies should take a long-term view. They should also respect the rule of “Primum non nocere” — first, do no harm. Furthermore, companies should ask “Who benefits from our presence,” and consider what the company’s most important values are.