How Saudi Arabia reshaped the sports world in its image
New research conducted by Play The Game shows the Kingdom has more than 900 sponsorships and 1400 positions that encompass the labyrinth of influence that the Kingdom has obtained in recent years.
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On Monday, the World Football Summit (WFS) kicked off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, gathering some of the leading figures from across the football landscape to discuss the future of the sport in the Gulf region and beyond.
The event, which debuted in the coastal city of Jeddah last year, included representatives from UEFA, Serie A, the Saudi Pro League, and clubs such as Manchester United. The summit’s agenda, meanwhile, included self-aggrandizing panel discussions as such “Saudi Arabia’s growing importance in World Football” and “One nation, one dream: The FIFA World Cup 2034 bid journey to success.”
The summit took place ahead of the FIFA general assembly on Dec. 11 to decide which countries will host the 2030 and 2034 World Cups. Saudi Arabia is the lone bidder for the 2034 edition, which it has all but guaranteed. This became evidently clear when FIFA released its bid evaluation report on Friday evening and gave the 2034 bid one of the highest technical ratings ever given to a World Cup bid, even though most of the stadiums are yet to be constructed.
FIFA’s evaluation, which offered glowing remarks about “ambitious” and “one-of-a-kind” stadium designs while downplaying the human rights risks associated with stadium construction, was an astonishing attempt to normalize Saudi Arabia’s human rights atrocities and the risks associated with hosting the event.
“By ignoring the clear evidence of severe human rights risks, Fifa is likely to bear much responsibility for the violations and abuses that will take place over the coming decade,” Steve Cockburn, head of labour rights and sports at Amnesty International, said in response to FIFA’s bid evaluation. “Fundamental human rights reforms are urgently required in Saudi Arabia, or the 2034 World Cup will be inevitably tarnished by exploitation, discrimination and repression.”
Nevertheless, FIFA’s whitewashing of Saudi Arabia’s bid is hardly surprising, considering the Kingdom’s strategic efforts to expand its influence in global football, as well as across the general sporting landscape.
Over the past month, I have worked with Play the Game — a Danish initiative promoting democracy, transparency, and freedom of expression in world sport — on a research project documenting Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in sports. Entitled “Saudi Arabia’s Grip on World Sports,” the research maps more than 900 sponsorships and 1400 positions that encompass the labyrinth of influence that the Kingdom has obtained (read: bought) over the past few years.
Beyond the numbers, the report provides a detailed analysis of key figures in Saudi sports and the state entities driving the Kingdom’s ambitions. It highlights how power is concentrated within a small group of influential figures, many of whom hold top positions in both the government and sports sector. The close ties between state and sports give Saudi Arabia a significant advantage, enabling it to harness state power and financial resources to achieve its bold sporting goals.
Regarding the 2034 World Cup, Play the Game’s research also revealed how the Kingdom laid the groundwork for its eventual bid by building influence in Asia through partnerships with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), placing Saudi officials in positions of power within the FIFA Council, and securing a landmark partnership between FIFA and Saudi oil and gas giant Aramco. The Saudi regime also utilized a British law firm that played a role in the infamous 2017 Ritz Carlton crackdown to produce a favourable report of human rights in Saudi Arabia, which later became a key component of the Kingdom’s bid.
You can read through Play The Game’s research and dataset here.
Much of Saudi Arabia’s strategic investments are fuelled by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund chaired by Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). The PIF has become one of the most powerful sports investors in the world, having invested significantly in everything from football and combat sports to golf, e-sports and tennis. According to PtG’s research, the PIF has 346 sponsorships across sports, including those obtained through subsidiaries such as Sela Sports, Neom, and the Saudi National Bank.
A Human Rights Watch report published in November 2024 revealed that much of the wealth fund’s influence is wielded directly by MBS, who used his power to restructure and expand the PIF. His uncontested authority over one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds has allowed him to unilaterally direct state wealth to the projects he personally favours, such as major sports investments, instead of those which would benefit the Saudi people.
While the spotlight is on the 2034 World Cup, Saudi Arabia has broadened its reach across other major sports, including cricket. Through a partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC) via Aramco, the Kingdom is set to host the IPL player auction in 2025, one of the most-watched events in cricket. This alliance not only strengthens Saudi's influence in the Indian subcontinent but also gives Aramco access to millions of fans.
Additionally, Saudi has invested heavily in restructuring boxing, which has become one of the Kingdom's most successful sports ventures. The man responsible for this development is Turki al-Sheikh, an eccentric politician and close confidant of MBS. Al-Shiekh, who helms Saudi’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA), has had a massive impact on boxing in recent years, having bankrolled some of the most high-profile heavyweight fights and broken through negotiation stalemates by offering record-breaking sums of money. His success as a promoter has made him one of the sport's most powerful figures, while fans and media affectionately refer to him as "His Excellency," — a title that underscores his growing cult of personality.
Beyond his personality cult, Al-Sheikh has also positioned himself as Saudi’s entertainment czar, utilizing the Kingdom’s vast resources to establish Riyadh Season – now one of the largest multi-week festivals in the world. Riyadh Season has hosted some of the biggest boxing bouts in recent memory — including the upcoming rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk — and even launched a major partnership with British boxing promotion BOXXER.
Behind the scenes, however, Al-Sheikh has quietly expanded his control over every facet of the sport, from matchmaking and event management to broadcasting, and now, media and content. Last month, Al Sheikh announced his purchase of Ring Magazine, a boxing outlet founded in 1922 and hailed as the “Bible of Boxing,” and claimed that a “new era” was about to begin. Beyond its status as one of boxing’s most important media outlets, The Ring also awards its own championship belt, which is one of the oldest and most sought after titles in the sport. It also hosts its own rankings, which now fall under Al-Sheikh’s control.
Al-Sheikh's acquisition of The Ring faced criticism from those who questioned the credibility of the magazine under the ownership of the Saudi regime. However, the purchase highlighted Saudi Arabia's broader strategy in sports investments, focusing on acquiring influence, shaping narratives, and establishing self-sustaining ecosystems under its control.
Saudi Arabia’s aggressive investments in sports are emblematic of its broader strategy to normalize its image globally, despite ongoing concerns over its human rights record. By pouring significant financial resources into high-profile sports, the Kingdom has managed to position itself as a key player on the global stage, leveraging "checkbook diplomacy" to gain influence and reshape the very fabric of these industries. These investments serve not only to boost Saudi Arabia's economic and geopolitical standing but also to exert control over the narratives surrounding it by shifting global perceptions and mitigating criticism of its actions.
In doing so, Saudi Arabia is not just participating in global sport—it is, in many respects, remaking it in its own image.
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Excellent write-up Zidan!
Thank you for this really interesting piece of writing. What stands out to me most here isn’t just that MBS (and Saudi Arabia) are aiming to gain influence on the global entertainment stage, but the sheer speed and intensity with which they’re pursuing it. The acquisition of Ring Magazine—a publication that, while now mostly known to boxing enthusiasts, is still regarded as an American institution—is absolutely remarkable.