Business of Sport Manchester United owners mull selling Premier League icon Manchester United’s US owners have begun looking at options for the 20-times English soccer champions, including a potential sale or new investment in stadium and infrastructure redevelopment. “As we seek to continue building on the club’s history of success, the board has authorised a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives,” said Avram and Joel Glazer in […] November 24, 2022
Analysis Business of Sport Saudi’s World Cup shock is ‘major step’ for Vision 2030 investment Saudi Arabia’s shock victory over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar is proof that the country’s Vision 2030 strategy is working and will encourage leaders to continue to make huge investments in the sports sector, according to experts. The Ministry of Sport and Ministry of Tourism have set an ambitious target for sports […] November 23, 2022
Analysis Business of Sport Qatar scores, with vital assists from Iran, Turkey and the UAE Alongside the massive investment and the 12 years of preparation, Qatar has called in more than a few favours to aid the smooth running of the World Cup. While its allies have proved keen to help, Doha has had to tiptoe carefully around the geopolitical faultlines that run through the Gulf. Turkey has sent more […] November 21, 2022
World Cup 2022 Uefa welcomes Fifa pledge to tackle Qatar labour issues A group of 11 European football associations welcomed promises from Fifa of support for migrant labourers in Qatar and the creation of a legacy fund from 2022 World Cup proceeds. The Uefa Working Group on Human and Labour Rights, made up of representatives from the football associations of Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, […] November 21, 2022
Business of Sport Fans enjoy Qatar World Cup from a distance at Dubai festival Soccer fans in Dubai were jubilant on Sunday as they watched the opening match of the 2022 World Cup in neighbouring Qatar at a fan festival in the region’s commercial hub. The BudX FIFA Fan Festival in Dubai featured big screens, beer and other drinks on an artificial island off the city’s buzzing Marina district, […] November 21, 2022
Analysis Business of Sport Nine ways the World Cup will transform Qatar Qatari strategists conceived the World Cup as a catalyser for long-term development ambitions. Across a range of economic sectors, the government has sought to embed the transitory impact of the tournament with longer-lasting side-benefits. None are more evident than in the tourism sector. As Berthold Trenkel, chief operating officer of Qatar Tourism, told AGBI: “The […] November 21, 2022
Business of Sport Budweiser campaign curbed, not crashed, by Qatar beer ban A last-minute decision to ban the sale of alcohol at Qatar’s World Cup stadiums will seriously limit Budweiser sales in the Gulf state, but will not derail its owner’s global campaign during the tournament, industry analysts said. Soccer world governing body FIFA’s announcement of the ban on Friday, just two days before the event kicks […] November 20, 2022
Long read Business of Sport World Cup puts focus on Gulf’s business of sport and reputation On Sunday evening, Qatar will take on Ecuador in the opening game of the 2022 World Cup – and the eyes of the world will turn to the Gulf for four weeks. The final on December 18 is due to be watched by 80,000 fans in the Lusail stadium and a television audience that could […] November 20, 2022
Opinion Business of Sport This is a World Cup for the entire Middle East While the focus will be on host nation Qatar, Dubai will do particularly well out of the World Cup and the entire region will benefit November 19, 2022
Analysis World Cup 2022 Shops on target: Qatar retailers set for $1.2bn World Cup windfall Qatar’s retailers are tipped to be big winners at the 2022 World Cup. New forecasts for the tournament’s impact, compiled by Fitch Solutions, suggest that the sector can expect a $1.2 billion windfall in the fourth quarter. Fitch is predicting that the Fifa competition will drive a sharp rise in Qatar’s GDP growth from 1.5 […] November 19, 2022
Analysis World Cup 2022 All eyes on Doha as World Cup finally comes to town Late autumn is typically a busy time in the Doha social calendar, as temperatures fall in Qatar and locals and wealthier expats return from cooler climes. This year the atmosphere is different. In one respect, the city has never been busier, as an army of labourers puts the finishing touches to the stadiums, hotels, malls, […] November 18, 2022
Long read World Cup 2022 Lusail City is ready for Qatar 2022 … and beyond All over the Gulf, Vision 2030 mega-projects are somewhere on the road from drawing-board dream to functioning reality. One has already got there: Lusail City in Qatar. Work on the development began almost a decade ago, spurred on by preparations for the 2022 World Cup. At the time, the site was a mere village, about […] November 18, 2022
Dubai gears up for 120 match-day shuttle flights to Qatar World Cup Dubai Airports is preparing for a massive surge in passenger numbers at Dubai World Central (DWC), with the match day shuttle flights to Doha, Qatar, for the FIFA World Cup 2022 all set to start from November 20. UAE’s low-cost Flydubai and Qatar Airways will fly up to 120 match-day shuttle flights in and out […] November 16, 2022
Food & Drink Beer to cost nearly $14 per half-litre at Qatar World Cup Half a litre of beer will cost QR 50 ($13.73) inside the main fan zone at the soccer World Cup in Qatar, a source with knowledge of alcohol sales at the tournament told Reuters. Major World Cup sponsor Budweiser has exclusive rights to sell beer at the finals and will serve its products at the […] November 16, 2022
World Cup 2022 Qatar’s non-oil sector slows despite World Cup 2022 Qatar’s headline Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) in October fell below the neutral 50 mark, bringing an end to 27 consecutive months of growth, as the country prepares to host the Fifa World Cup later this month. The latest PMI survey data from Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) shows that the index fell to 48.4 in October […] November 10, 2022
Analysis Business of Sport Fifa ‘referee tech’ to transform the beautiful game at Qatar 2022 The 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar is set to kick off with some new technology that will prevent a replay of some of football’s most controversial moments and generate even more potential revenue streams for the game. The single biggest tournament for the single biggest sport will begin in Doha on November 20, with […] November 6, 2022
Analysis World Cup 2022 Bahrain set for surge in visitors from Europe’s World Cup giants Europeans are flocking to Bahrain this autumn, with flight bookings from Germany, France and the UK up significantly on pre-pandemic levels in what could be a World Cup windfall for the island’s tourism industry. As nearby Qatar prepares to host the tournament, which starts on November 20, an influx of tourists from defending champions France, […] November 2, 2022
Business of Sport The legacy of falconry lives on in the Arab world Falcons and the sport of falconry remain not only a thriving niche business but also a proud legacy representing the Gulf’s culture. The third Saudi Falcons Club auction, which concludes on November 15, has already sold six falcons for SR 645,000 ($172,000). The auction in Malham, north of Riyadh, is run in conjunction with the […] October 31, 2022
Business of Sport Renowned artist paints boots and balls for Qatar’s World Cup Lili Cantero, a 29-year-old Paraguayan artist famed for painting intricate and personal soccer boots for stars including Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho, is preparing a new colourful show of her work to take to the World Cup in Qatar. The Asuncion-born artist is painting some two dozen sets of boots, balls and canvases, many inspired by […] October 31, 2022
Business of Sport AC Milan eyes renewal of Emirates deal as it trims losses AC Milan trimmed its annual loss last year thanks to rising commercial revenue and continued cost discipline, the Italian soccer champions said on Wednesday, as it eyes the renewal of a long-standing sponsorship deal with airline Emirates. Recently bought by investment firm RedBird Capital Partners in a €1.2 billion ($1.2 billion) deal, AC Milan slashed […] October 27, 2022
Business of Sport Qatar’s beIN Sports picks Saudi firm as $150m advertising partner Qatar-based beIN, a sports broadcaster that was banned in Saudi Arabia until last year, said on Wednesday it had chosen a Saudi firm as its exclusive advertising partner in the Middle East and North Africa in a deal that a source put at some $150 million. BeIN Sports said in a statement it had signed […] October 27, 2022
Business of Sport FIFA World Cup hosts Qatar win bid to stage 2023 Asian Cup Qatar has won the bid to host the 18th edition of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, state-owned Qatar News Agency reported. Qatar is the reigning AFC Asian Cup champion and will be hosting the tournament for the third time after staging the 1988 and 2011 editions. The Gulf nation’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup […] October 18, 2022
