Mavs and Timberwolves play in Abu Dhabi as Gulf region's influence with the NBA grows

The NBA returns to Abu Dhabi this week as Arabian Gulf countries increasingly use their wealth to establish a foothold with the league.

The Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves play Thursday in the first of two preseason games in the United Arab Emirates capital, but most of the real action is taking place off the court.Qatar's sovereign wealth fund is buying a minority stake in the Washington Wizards with the move coming less than a year after the league's Board of Governors opened the door to such institutional investors.

Countries in the region like Saudi Arabia, which was implicated in the gruesome murder of a U.S.-based columnist, have faced criticism that they are “sportswashing” their human rights records. “That doesn’t mean we agree with every law or viewpoint where we play games or engage fans, and we condemn human rights violations wherever they occur,” Tatum said. “We make sure that we stay true to our mission and values everywhere we operate and adhere to guidance from the U.S. government.”

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