Saudi Arabia’s sporting cash splurge, from Cristiano Ronaldo and Newcastle to LIV golf and F1
- Oil-rich Gulf nation has made inroads in sports including football, golf, boxing, horse racing, motor racing and cricket
- It is already set to host the Asian Games and, controversially, the Asian Winter Games, and has its sights set on staging the Olympics
The conservative Gulf monarchy, often criticised over its human rights record, is attempting to burnish its image and attract foreign interest as it diversifies its economy away from oil.
Here are some of the moves that have turned Saudi Arabia into a major player in sport:
Desert winter, Olympic goals
The event, which has already earned the wrath of environmental campaigners, will be held at NEOM, an under-construction US$500 billion megacity that is planning a year-round winter sports complex.
Five years later, the capital Riyadh will put on the 2034 Asian Games, an Olympic-style multi-sports event. Hosting an Olympics is the kingdom’s “ultimate goal”, Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said in August.
Chequered flags
The glitzy world of F1 zoomed in to Jeddah, the Red Sea city that is a gateway for pilgrims headed to Mecca, in 2021 with a night race flanking the coastline. It is one of four grands prix to be held in the wealthy Gulf this year.
Last year’s edition was overshadowed by an attack by Houthi rebels from Yemen, Saudi’s war-torn neighbour, that left oil facilities belching black smoke within sight of the circuit during practice sessions.
