Skip to content Skip to Search
Skip navigation

Business of sport: Where the Middle East money goes

By Shruthi Nair

The World Economic Forum has reported that the Middle East’s sports industry is expected to grow by 8.7 percent by 2026, compared with global sector growth of 3.3 per cent over the same period.

AGBI recently hosted the Business of Sport roundtable covering a wide range of pressing topics, including M&A activities; outbound vs inbound investments into the Gulf region; regulatory challenges; the evolution of sports broadcasting and the power of unscripted content; and whether the next football World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia. 

On the panel are:

Robin Butteriss, partner and corporate finance advisor at consultancy firm Deloitte Middle East. Deloitte’s Sports Business Group caters to clients across 40 countries and 30 different sports. 

Klaus Kajetski, founder and CEO of Yalla Esports, one of the region’s largest gaming and esports agencies.

Azhar Muhammad Saul, COO of Paradigm Sports, a multi-sport business and media company with clientele including the martial artists Conor McGregor and Johnny Walker, the kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, and American football player Josh Tupou.

Watch the video to find out why, according to Butteriss, there is a “torchlight focused on this region”.

Latest articles

Alshaya Group, one of the Gulf’s largest franchise owners, is expected to resume discussions about Starbucks next year if the situation improves

Kuwait’s Alshaya delays Starbucks franchise stake sale

Kuwait’s Alshaya Group is “not in a hurry” to sell a stake in its Starbucks regional franchise due to the ongoing geopolitical unrest and boycotts, which is affecting its valuation, according to a news report. Discussions are expected to resume next year “if the situation improves”, Reuters reported, citing informed sources. The company, one of […]

Saudi Arabia’s new investment of $5bn will be separate from its deposits with the central bank, Egypt's prime minister Mostafa Madbouly said

Egypt explores new mega deals like Ras El-Hekma

Egypt is planning new developments along the Red Sea coast, with at least five new areas identified for deals similar to Ras El-Hekma, prime minister Mostafa Madbouly has said. The UAE sovereign fund ADQ unveiled plans in February to invest $35 billion to build the “largest new city” in Egypt to promote tourism and drive […]

QIA is exploring investment opportunities, including carve-outs among conglomerates and take-private deals in Japan

QIA looks at investments in Australia and Asia

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is looking at expanding into Australia, South Korea and Southeast Asia as part of its growth strategy, a senior fund official has said. The sovereign fund is starting to hire locally in Australia and South Korea, Abdulla Ali Al-Kuwari, head of Asia Pacific at QIA Advisory, told a panel at the […]

Sharjah is seen as a more affordable alternative to Dubai, making its real estate attractive

Foreign investors help Sharjah real estate thrive

Sharjah’s real estate sector recorded 22 percent growth in the number of foreign investors during the first half of the year compared with the same period last year, attracting investors from 100 different nationalities. The number of properties traded by foreign investors in the emirate during the first six months of this year reached almost […]