The United States and Europe have long been established as global powerhouses in professional sport, but the landscape is rapidly changing.
Several Middle East nations are on a mission to reshape sports as they strive to use the industry to accumulate power and exert influence on the global stage.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Saud Arabia are leading the charge to revolutionise sport by investing heavily in leagues, clubs and high-profile athletes.
Their methodology is following a similar pattern to exciting developments inside their own borders, which are designed to help them became major players globally.
For example, the UAE is on track to open a $3.9 billion integrated resort in 2027 which will feature over 1,500 hotel rooms, retail, dining and entertainment.
The resort will also boast extensive gaming facilities, making it the best Arab casino in the region. To facilitate the opening of the resort, the UAE is currently in the midst of establishing a formal licensing and regulatory framework for casinos to operate legally in the jurisdiction.
The move will open the door for casino operators to offer Arab players easy access to thousands of exciting casino games and enticing bonus packages. This seismic shift in stance towards gaming, which was traditionally illegal in the Middle East, is mirrored by the heightened involvement in sport.
They have already acquired several top professional football clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain (Qatar), Manchester City (UAE) and Newcastle United (Saudi Arabia).
The staging of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar also demonstrated the region’s growing thirst for sport and will be replicated when Saudi Arabia hosts the same tournament in 2034 after Australia recently cleared the path for them to do so by withdrawing from the bidding process.
Arab countries are increasingly bidding to attract other major events across the sporting spectrum including motorsports, boxing, golf, mixed martial arts and many more.
The landscape in North American sports is also changing, with the NBA, NHL and Major League Soccer among the competitions which have seen significant investment from the Middle East.
The policy can be traced back to the 1980s, when Saudi Arabia first dipped its toe in the water with its involvement in Formula One. The UAE and Qatar eventually followed in their footsteps as the top Middle East nations attempted to diversify their revenue streams.
The Saudis are currently at the forefront of the push to establish the Middle East as the primary player in sports – a point evidenced by the creation of the LIV Golf League.
They threw eye-watering sums of money to attract some of the world’s top players away from the PGA Tour, and their actions eventually forced through a merger of the two organisations.
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has also flexed its muscles in football, and is on a mission to make the Saudi Pro League the top domestic competition in the world.
They lured former Manchester United and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo to the league at the end of 2022 to demonstrate their ability to sign global superstars.
A near $1 billion dollar outlay on players during the 2023 summer transfer window followed, with top names such as Karim Benzema and Neymar among the stars they acquired. Further investment is guaranteed, which could have a significant impact on several of the top leagues in Europe over the next few years.
Critics claim the policy is effectively ‘sportswashing’ – a tactic designed to use sports to gloss over human rights abuses and other societal issues in the Middle East.
However, several leading academics argue the same methodology has been used by numerous countries in the Western world – some of which have questionable behaviour of their own to address.
Despite the criticism, the sports industry largely seems happy to work with the Middle East, with several major events set to be staged there over the next few years.
Qatar is scheduled to host the Basketball World Cup in 2027 and the Asian Games in 2030, while Saudi Arabia will stage football’s Asian Cup in 2027 and the Asian Winter Games in 2029.
With government leaders increasingly shaking off the insular shackles their respective nations have generally been associated with, the Middle East looks set fair to become a big-hitter in sport.
The relaxation of their stance on gambling is further evidence of their desire to move the needle in sectors which have traditionally been associated with other jurisdictions.
From legalising online casinos to investing billions in global sports, it appears the leading Middle East nations will stop at nothing to challenge the established world order over the next few years.
