Saudi Arabia’s sports scene is flexing on the world right now. Here’s why
Get ready for a pure adrenaline rush. Saudi Arabia’s got an epic lineup of mega sports events waiting for you. We’re talking UFC Fight Night, the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, WTA Tour Finals, in addition to some of the greatest editions of LIV Golf and the Dakar Rally. And guess what? There’s even more to come!
The Saudi sports scene is peaking right now, racking up 2.6 million fans at these action-packed spectacles, so you know they’re nailing it.
Question: What drives Saudi Arabia’s growing focus on investing in sports?
There’s a healthy dose of national pride behind the country’s leap into the global sporting arena.
Saudis have always been big on sports. These may not be the ones you typically catch on the sports channel very often. We’re talking falconry, horse and camel racing, archery and fencing. But basketball, Formula 1, rally driving, boxing, tennis and gaming are becoming more and more popular; and nothing rivals the nation’s epic obsession with football (aka soccer).
The Kingdom’s also got a super young population, with over 60% under 30 years old. This recent mega-spending spree is an investment in their future. Think new revenue streams, a healthier population with a good quality of life, and a sports landscape where young athletes have elite opportunities.
Young people in Saudi are now embracing a healthier lifestyle, as the Kingdom of Youth builds new gyms, fields and spaces where anyone can practice their favorite sporting activities.
And it’s not just sports. Saudi’s new entertainment scene is lit. With a laidback vibe, and heritage that goes back millennia, an enviable natural landscape and a pulsating roster of hip international artists, Saudi is where epic sports moments meet your travel bucket list.
You can watch a championship fight, then hit up an all-night rave in the canyons of AlUla. Or hike Tuwaik Mountain to take in a magical sunset between matches. Sounds wild, right? This is the Kingdom of Experiences, where “only in Saudi” moments become your best travel stories.
Question: How big is the sports scene in Saudi Arabia?
Depends on what you’re into.
Do you want names? Some of the biggest football stars have moved to the Kingdom from all around the world, including the U.K. (like Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez and Cristiano Ronaldo), France (think Neymar), and Spain (Karim Benzema). There’s even rivalry, with former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard coaching El-Ettifaq and former Hoffenheim player Matthias Jaissle taking charge at Al Ahli. Talented, ambitious national players get to rub shoulders with the best, inspiring the youth to become superstars like their heroes.
Do you want events? The boxing match between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, dubbed “the biggest fight this century” by The Economist, recently took place in the capital, Riyadh. The Italian Football Super Cup, Spanish Football Super Cup, and WTA Tour Finals are all happening in the Kingdom of Action. The Olympic Esports Games makes its world debut in Saudi in 2025. The 2027 AFC Asian Cup, 2029 Asian Winter Games, and 2034 FIFA World Cup are locked in. With past World Cup winners competing, can Saudi repeat their electrifying win over Argentina in 2022?
How about numbers? The Kingdom’s sports sector grew 174% between 2018 and 2021 and increased its contribution to the G20 economy by 22%. That’s a total game-changer for a country investing in its sports industry.
The Kingdom is also making a big push to grow emerging sports like mixed martial arts (MMA), esports and table tennis. They’re heating things up with events like Saudi Smash, the Esports World Cup, Formula E electric car race, Neom Beach Games and athletic challenges like the Super League Triathlon.
So, are you in?
Question: What’s the Kingdom’s amateur sports scene like?
How much time have you got?
Saudi’s got game in every corner, with sports federations for rugby, volleyball, padel, boxing, beach volleyball. We can keep going. They’ve set up tons of great initiatives to grow these sports at the grassroots level, with massive support for leagues, clubs and training academies to get up-and-coming athletes into the game and up to pro performance.
The epic Saudi Games, a mashup of Olympic, Paralympic, esports and everything in between, gets bigger every year, with thousands of Saudi male and female athletes squaring off.
The lifestyle offerings in the Kingdom are kind of astonishing. Picture scenic golf courses, urban parks, huge “Sports Cities” and local sports clubs flexing Olympic-size swimming pools. The country’s got indoor and outdoor courts for just about every game, playgrounds, chill recreational areas, and sports medicine clinics. Add to that the corniches of Jeddah and Dammam for the watersports and skateboarding crowd…You name it!
When it comes to staying fit, forget treadmills. Riyadh’s getting a whole new boulevard dedicated to sports. The massive project will give the city a facelift with green paths and special routes for cyclists and runners, plus a “Global Sports Tower”, set to be the tallest of its kind in the world. This is fitness on a whole new level!
Question: Do women watch sports? And can they compete?
Absolutely. Women are most definitely part of Saudi’s terrific fan culture and they’re setting records on the national, regional and global stages too. Trailblazers like Sarah Attar, the first woman to represent Saudi at the London Olympics in 2012, Raha Moharrak, the youngest Arab and first Saudi female to conquer Mount Everest in 2013, Reema Juffali, Saudi’s first female pro racing driver.
Participation in female sports is through the roof right now, with women’s national teams slaying in golf, equestrian sports, judo, fencing, tennis, taekwondo, swimming, athletics, and football, which is seeing an explosive growth. Almost half of the gamers in Saudi are women.
With big events like the Olympic Esports Tournament and WTA Tour Finals lined up, plus more investments in leagues, clubs, and teams, things are coming together! These’ll set up more opportunities to develop Saudi athletic talent but also appeal to the many international female athletes who call the Kingdom home.
The Takeaway
Saudi’s sporting evolution has just begun and it’s an adventure you don’t want to miss. The new go-to destination for mega sports is open to the world. Check out their packed calendar – you’ll come for the sports and stay for the hospitality!
