When you think of countries where sports is a culture USA, UK, Australia and parts of Europe come to mind. Saudi Arabia will probably be at the far end of the list. But in the last decade, things have changed quite drastically, and Saudi Arabia have aggressively been trying to change that backed by financial muscle and how?

It all changed the day Al Nassr signed Cristiano Ronaldo to a 2-year deal in 2022 from Manchester United on a free but a move that guaranteed the five-time Ballon D’or winner an income of a 177 million pounds per year. That was in 2022, and we are in 2025 and since then Ronaldo has signed a deal that will keep him in the Saudi League till 2027.

Strategic Investments and Ownership

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) has been at the heart of this expansion, acquiring stakes in major assets like Newcastle United, the Saudi Pro League (including teams like Al- Hilal, Al-Nassr), and LIV Golf, as well as investing in Formula 1, Boxing and global sports streaming via DAZN MENA. Since signing Ronaldo, the Saudi League has seen the likes of Sadio Mane, Neymar, Aymeric Laporte, Koulibaly, Kante and more plying their trade in the league.

 There are also rumours that the PIF backed SRJ Sports Investments want to invest around 500 million dollars and commence a new global T20 Cricket League to compete with the IPL and BBL.

Hosting Major Global Tournaments

Saudi Arabia is also positioning itself as a premier destination for global events. For example, the Formula 1 race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit is one of the five-night races which adds to the extra glitz and glamour to the race since 2021. The WWE has held pay per views in Saudi Arabia, most recently Crown Jewel, as part of the ten-year partnership with Saudi Vision 2030. Talking about “crown jewels”, none bigger than the country bagging the rights to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034. That, in our opinion, would be the ultimate consolidation of Saudi Vision 2030.

Infrastructure Powerplay

 There is massive investment in development of world class venues. The King Salman International Stadium, at a capacity of 92,760 will be playing host to the World Cup Final. The Aramco Stadium in Khobar holds around 46000 people. They’ll be playing hosts to the group matches. There are reports of upgrades to the King Fahd Sports City in Riyadh and also big projects like the Sports Boulevard are underway.

Grassroots Development, Talent and Innovation

 The Mahd Sports Academy, launched to train young athletes, is expanding nationally with 16 branches across all 13 provinces. Theres also a strong push in e-Sports, AI, Blockchain and fan innovation. Notably, the PIF introduced SRJ Sports Investments to develop digital fan engagement and IP within sports technology.

Economic Impact and National Ambition

Since 2021, Saudi Arabia has pumped more than $6 billion into sports, accounting for infrastructure, event hosting and acquisitions. This surge has led to steady GDP growth in the sports sector. From AED 8.8 billion in 2016 to AED 25 billion in 2019, This is forecasted to reach around $23 billion in 2030 and a creation of 140,000 jobs.

Sports tourism and mega-events today are being leveraged as platforms for soft power and global influence. And these can really go a long way in establishing a nation’s position on the global map.