Newcastle United to play match in Riyadh against Saudi club Al-Hilal amid 'sportswashing' accusations

English Premier League side Newcastle United will play and train in Saudi Arabia this December, in a move that will do little to dispel accusations that the club is being used to clean up Riyadh's recent controversies.

The top-flight side will travel to Riyadh between 4 to 10 December to undertake warm-weather training and play a friendly match with Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal, according to a statement from Newcastle United released on Friday.

The visit coincides with a pause on Premier League matches in the run-up to the World Cup in Qatar, which begins next month.

"We look forward to facing Al-Hilal and playing in front of our growing numbers of supporters in the region," the statement quoted team manager Eddie Howe as saying.

A consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) - a sovereign wealth fund - completed a drawn-out takeover of Newcastle United last October.

The deal was dogged by many controversies, among them was whether the purchase led by a state wealth fund would result in the club being controlled by Saudi Arabia itself.

The Gulf country has been accused of purchasing sports teams in order to 'sportswash', glossing over a bad human rights image most recently tarnished by the murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi involvement in the war in Yemen.

The Premier League, which had to approve the takeover, said when the deal was finalised that it had "received legally binding assurances that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control Newcastle United Football Club".

But critics say the release of a new kit that bears a striking resemblance to that of the Saudi national football team and a visit by the team to Jeddah at the beginning of this year clearly show that the Saudi state is using the club to try to improve the country's image.

The British government has denied that it was involved in the takeover deal - but an investigation from The Guardian last month found that a British minister said he would speak to Saudi officials "at the highest level" to facilitate the process.