Business of Sport English football ‘shake-up’ will not deter Middle East investors A shake-up of ownership rules in English football is unlikely to put off Middle East investors, industry analysts have said. On Thursday, British tabloid The Sun reported that it had seen a leaked copy of the UK government’s football white paper, stating that takeovers of football clubs could be blocked if the prospective owners could […] February 6, 2023
Exclusive Business of Sport Alcohol u-turn led to peaceful World Cup, says Fifa security chief Violent clashes between football fans and police, similar to those seen at the Euro 2016 tournament in France, were absent from the Qatar World Cup, and one of the reasons, according to the head of security at organiser Fifa, was the decision to reduce the consumption of alcohol. With two days to go before the […] January 28, 2023
Analysis Business of Sport Middle East continues to dominate football’s rich list Nine of the top 20 clubs in football’s rich list have investment links to the Middle East – and analysts are predicting that Gulf ties will increase in the next few years. Abu Dhabi’s Manchester City retained the No 1 spot in the latest edition of the Deloitte Football Money League, with revenue of €731 […] January 23, 2023
Business of Sport Saudi PIF said to have explored over $20bn bid to buy F1 Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) had plans to include Formula 1 motor racing in its growing sports investment portfolio, Bloomberg reported, citing informed sources. A possible deal failed in the early stages last year as F1’s owner Liberty Media Corporation was not interested in selling the F1 franchise, which the Saudi sovereign fund valued […] January 22, 2023
Business of Sport How Saudi Arabia can monetise the Ronaldo effect Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr could lead to a financial windfall for his new club and Saudi Arabia, football finance expert Neil Joyce told Reuters, as the Portugal international gears up for his first game in the country since the deal was announced. Ronaldo was named captain of Riyadh ST XI — a team […] January 19, 2023
Business of Sport Qatar and Abu Dhabi to host F1 races in October and November Formula One will have 23 races this season, still a record and one more than last year, with the sport facing a four-week gap in April after deciding not to replace the cancelled Chinese Grand Prix. The race in Shanghai, originally scheduled for April 16 as the fourth of 24 rounds, was axed last month […] January 18, 2023
Business of Sport Qatar’s next big match: a Premier League club to call its own Qatar’s reported plan to buy a Premier League football club is the natural next step for the host of the 2022 World Cup, sports business analysts have told AGBI. Less than a month after Argentina lifted the Fifa trophy at the Lusail stadium, Qatar Sports Investment is said to be turning its attentions to English […] January 10, 2023
Analysis Business of Sport Ronaldo will be first of many Saudi superstar signings Cristiano Ronaldo was officially revealed as an Al Nassr player on Tuesday night amid a cacophony of noise and a sea of yellow and blue. And as fans inside the 25,000-seater Mrsool Park chanted his name, Ben Gordon, a sports diplomacy expert at Dentons Global Advisors, said that Saudis should get set for more superstar […] January 4, 2023
Analysis Business of Sport Ronaldo’s signing goes beyond money for Saudi Arabia Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr “is less about money and more about the Saudi Arabian geopolitical economy”, says a leading sports academic. The 37-year-old forward agreed to join the Saudi Pro League last week in a deal that will run until 2025 and is expected to earn him over $200 million a year. It […] January 2, 2023
Business of Sport Cristiano Ronaldo joins Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr Cristiano Ronaldo has signed for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia in a deal that is expected to earn him over $200 million a year. The Portuguese striker, 37, agreed a contract yesterday that runs until 2025. He was a free agent after leaving Manchester United by mutual agreement in November following an interview he gave […] December 31, 2022
Opinion Business of Sport The classic car market is about to hit the gas Expect significant growth in values as the Middle East gets into gear December 28, 2022
Analysis Business of Sport Brand Qatar’s legacy once the last World Cup fan has gone home Strolling down Lusail Boulevard on a warm December evening, foreign fans who have lingered on after the World Cup to enjoy some winter sun pause to chat with local vloggers about their lasting impressions of Qatar. “Impressed” is a word they use frequently. “Hospitality” and “generosity” are mentioned often. One pedestrian describes with delight how […] December 22, 2022
Analysis Business of Sport Qatar 2022: The making of a sports nation From Formula 1 to the 2030 Asian games, Qatar’s hosting of a series of major events before and after the World Cup has reinforced its role in the global sporting diary. Having built eight stadiums for the 2022 tournament, the Gulf state now boasts an infrastructure that will make it a go-to location for many […] December 19, 2022
Analysis World Cup 2022 Qatar 2022 more about long-term legacy than short-term gains Once the last ball has been kicked, the final whistle blown and the gold trophy held aloft in Lusail Stadium on December 18, the world’s attention will move on from Qatar. But the tournament’s economic legacy will take longer to emerge. The history of World Cups and Olympic Games is littered with unmet promises and […] December 16, 2022
Business of Sport Dubai’s Emirates renews sponsorship deal with AC Milan Dubai-based Emirates has renewed its sponsorship deal with AC Milan, extending a partnership with the Italian football club that has spanned over 15 years. The airline’s “Fly Better” logo will continue to feature on the club’s jerseys, Emirates said in a statement. In addition, the airline’s branding will appear on youth jerseys across all AC […] December 16, 2022
Analysis Aviation Private jet demand to Doha soars despite World Cup price hikes Private jet operators have reported a massive surge in demand for flights to Doha during the World Cup, despite the rise in operating costs caused by the high number of aircraft flying in and out of the Qatari capital. “So far, the World Cup has been an incredibly exciting — albeit intensely busy time — […] December 14, 2022
Opinion Tourism Morocco’s World Cup journey must be capitalised upon National football team's success can inspire wider opportunities December 13, 2022
Business of Sport LaLiga nets esports deal as Spain’s football league heads Mena’s way Spain’s main football league, LaLiga, has signed a 15-year deal with Galaxy Racer, one of the world’s largest largest esports, gaming and lifestyle organisations, that they estimate will generate more than $3.16 billion. The home of Barcelona and Real Madrid say they expect the tie-up with the Dubai-based company to transform the league’s presence in […] December 11, 2022
Business of Sport Qatar-owned football club PSG eyes sale of minority stake Qatar-owned football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is looking to sell a minority stake, chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi told CNN. “I think it’s great for the club, and it is proved that we are doing a fantastic job in the club. I mean, we bought it for around 70 million… so is it [a] good investment?” […] December 7, 2022
Analysis World Cup 2022 World Cup has instant impact on Qatari retail and tourism The World Cup has had an immediate impact on private sector activity in Qatar, according to new figures. The Fifa tournament began on November 20 and the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index report, from Qatar Financial Centre, says the country’s wholesale, retail and service providers reported a rapid expansion in the second half of the month. […] December 5, 2022
Analysis Business of Sport How Qatar is handling the world’s football fans More than one million people are expected to visit Qatar during the World Cup and the authorities are hoping that is the start of a new tourism boom. The opportunity for a country to present itself to a global audience of billions does not come around often. As host of the tournament, Qatar certainly finds […] December 4, 2022
Business of Sport Messi takes on Ronaldo in ‘cryptoverse’ World Cup 2022 The market for fan tokens, a volatile cocktail of crypto and sport, is heating up in the desert of Qatar. Interest in this niche breed of cryptocurrencies, typically linked to sports teams like Barcelona or Brazil, has been charged up by the soccer World Cup which began on November 20. Average daily trading volumes for […] November 29, 2022
