Play the Game publishes fresh dataset exposing Saudi Arabia’s enormous influence in world sports

Download the report and the dataset

Throughout 2024 Saudi Arabia has hosted some of the biggest sporting events in international sports and at the same time significantly expanded its web of sponsorships, partnerships, and strategic investments. The Kingdom's ventures extend across multiple arenas, from incursions into the world of tennis and snooker, to hosting its first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event, and the 2024 Esports World Cup in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia’s rapidly expanding influence in global sports is perhaps best exemplified by the creation of ‘Riyadh Season’, a six-month festival that showcases some of the world’s biggest sporting events. In 2024 alone, Riyadh Season has played host to blockbuster boxing fights like Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk and Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol.

The festival also hosted World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) events, its inaugural UFC showcase, and a “Six Kings Slam” tennis exhibition, which brought together some of the world’s top stars, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, and World no. 1 Jannik Sinner. These events underscore Saudi Arabia's calculated efforts to use sports as a platform for soft power, branding, and global influence.

“Backed by billions of dollars and a rapidly expanding network of sponsorships, partnerships, and strategic investments, the Kingdom’s ambitions have reshaped the sports world,” says Stanis Elsborg, head of Play the Game who has co-authored the report with Karim Zidan.

“This expansion, however, is not merely about elevating Saudi Arabia's presence in sport—it is part of a meticulously crafted strategy to transform the Kingdom’s global image and wield sport as a powerful instrument of geopolitical influence. Understanding this strategy is key to grasping what’s truly at stake."

What we learned from the dataset 

The dataset shows that Saudi Arabia has more than 900 sponsorships across sports. Most of these sponsorships are with the Public Investment Fund (PIF), one of the richest sovereign wealth funds in the world that is also chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

The PIF alone accounts for 346 sponsorships across sports - a number that surpasses the total number of sponsorships Play the Game’s researchers identified in the dataset from 2023.

“When we first mapped Saudi Arabia's engagement in sport in 2023, we found 323 sponsorships. This year we have gone deeper and revealed an even clearer picture of the Kingdom's growing influence,” says Elsborg.

“Our exploratory and investigative approach means the findings from 2023 and 2024 are not directly comparable. Nevertheless, the sharp spike in investments and strategic partnerships speaks volumes about Saudi Arabia’s ambitions and expanding grip on international sport.”

The dataset also reveals the types of sport where Saudi Arabia has expanded its influence the most. The comprehensive list of Saudi sponsorships in the world of sports shows that football, boxing, esports, and golf are among the biggest benefactors of Saudi’s spending splurge. Motorsports and mixed martial arts are close behind.

The dataset also provides updated insights into positions held by Saudi Arabia’s political elite in sports, and the number of mapped positions has been expanded from 795 in 2023 to 1,412 in 2024. It also includes a list of football federations and clubs partnered with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.

How you can help

While Play the Game’s research provides a foundation for understanding Saudi Arabia’s sports masterplan, the dataset holds the potential for countless untold narratives and insights.

To promote further inquiry and discovery, Play the Game has made the dataset openly available to the public and extends an open invitation to journalists, academics, researchers, and other stakeholders to analyse the data, expand upon the findings, and uncover new stories or angles that have yet to be explored.

"By sharing this resource, Play the Game aims to spark diverse investigations that contribute to a deeper understanding of the issues at hand and foster collaborative efforts which can shed light on the Kingdom’s tightening control over the world of sports," says Elsborg.

Read Play the Game's full report

Play the Game has used the dataset to shed light on the influential inner circle behind Saudi Arabia’s sports initiatives and investments and in the report you will find:

• Insightful stories on key figures and state entities shaping Saudi Arabia’s sports ambitions, including their role in relation to the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
• Examples of sponsorships, strategic alliances, and partnerships illustrating the Kingdom’s far-reaching influence.
• Examples of conflicts of interest and governance challenges, including implications related to the 2024 FIFA World Cup.

Read the report and download the dataset

If you believe we are missing something important or have spotted any errors in the dataset, please contact us at info@playthegame.org.