From Riyadh to the world: How Turki Al-Sheikh is transforming Saudi Arabia into a global entertainment hub

On 12 October 2024, Saudi Arabia launched the 5th edition of Riyadh Season – the Kingdom’s six-month festival of sports, culture, and entertainment – with a highly anticipated boxing showdown between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol dubbed IV Crown Showdown.

The event drew celebrities from football superstar Neymar to rap legend Busta Rhymes and was staged with all the glitz and glamour one can expect from a country keen to present itself as a destination for combat sports to rival Las Vegas. 

Seated ringside among the celebrities was Turki Al-Sheikh, the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and a driving force behind Saudi’s rise as a global hub for sports and entertainment. 

Al-Sheikh, a close confidant of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is not only the face of Riyadh Season but also an advisor to the Royal Court and the owner of the Spanish football club Almería.

The man behind Saudi Arabia’s boxing revolution

Al-Sheikh has played a pivotal role in bringing high-stakes combat sports to Saudi soil. Over recent years, he has struck deals with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and even secured the rights to stage the Italian and Spanish Super Cups in Saudi Arabia. 

However, his crowning achievements have arguably been in the world of boxing.

In 2024, Al-Sheikh secured landmark partnerships with some of boxing's most influential organisations, including the World Boxing Council and the World Boxing Association, as well as leading promotors such as Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy Promotions, Toprank, and Boxxer.

Al-Sheikh has revitalised boxing in ways once thought impossible. He bankrolled high-profile fights and broke through negotiation stalemates between the various boxing promoters who control the sport by offering unprecedented sums of money thanks to the deep pockets of the Saudi state. He was even able to secure a heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk – the first undisputed heavyweight title bout of this century.

Riyadh has now been the site of several major boxing events that have reshaped the sport. The British newspaper 'The Telegraph' crowned al-Sheikh as "the most influential man in boxing," and fans and media have affectionately dubbed him "His Excellency."

Beyond his growing personality cult, al-Sheikh has also positioned himself as Saudi’s entertainment czar, utilizing the Kingdom’s vast resources to establish Riyadh Season – now one of the largest multi-week festivals in the world – and leverage that platform to further expand Saudi’s soft power. 

Since the launch of the 2024 edition of Riyadh Season, the festival has hosted events such as the 6 Kings Slam tennis exhibition, the CAF Super Cup Final, the WWE Crown Jewel event, and a Professional Fighters League (PFL) event dubbed ‘Battle of the Giants’. Riyadh Season 2024 also includes a rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury as well as the Italian Super Cup.

Riyadh Season goes global: Controlling the narrative

Al-Sheikh has also taken the brand international. In August 2024, he brought a Riyadh Season fight card to Los Angeles, where boxing legend Terence Crawford headlined an event at BMO Stadium. 

The following month, London's Wembley Arena hosted a clash between British heavyweight Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, also under the Riyadh Season banner. In a striking display of Saudi influence, the Kingdom’s national anthem was performed ahead of the main event – the first time Saudi Arabia’s anthem was played at a boxing event on British soil.

This was also the event where a journalist from 'The Telegraph' – the same paper that dubbed Al-Sheikh the most influential figure in boxing – had his credentials revoked for criticising the Saudi regime. It was a clear signal of the Kingdom's growing influence over both boxing and the wider sporting scene.

It also draws similarities to a New York Times investigation into Lionel Messi’s contractual agreement with the Saudi tourism authority. The agreement included a non-disparagement clause that barred Messi from stating anything that would “tarnish” Saudi’s reputation. 

Despite the assault on press freedom in the UK, the incident barely made a ripple among boxing fans. Al-Sheikh’s growing influence has effectively silenced much of the criticism within the sport. 

It is yet another reminder of how Saudi Arabia leverages sports not only to reshape its global image but also to tightly control the narrative surrounding the Kingdom.

Turki Al-Sheikh is central to that strategy.