Saudi Arabia: 5 International Events Hosted/Planned by Gulf Country in Bid to Become Major World Sports Hub

(Photo : FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images) Fans of the Saudi national football team carry a portrait of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud and wave the national flag as they cheer before the final of the 22nd Gulf Cup of Nations football match against Qatar at the King Fahad stadium in Riyadh, on November 26, 2014.

Saudi Arabia has just been awarded the right to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, making it the second country in the Middle East to host the prestigious football competition.

Many were surprised by the selection of Saudi. Some even protested.

For Saudi officials, the selection is not surprising. It is a result of their hard work to transform the nation into a major sports world hub.

Sports tourism is one sector many countries are investing in these days, and Saudi, with all its wealth, is at the forefront of it.

The country launched a wide-ranging social and economic plan called Vision 2030 in 2016, which covers promoting more international sporting events. This strategy is implemented to promote sports tourism and provide jobs for the people.

Major Saudi-hosted sports events:

1. Saudi Arabian Grand Prix commenced in 2021

Formula One tours the world in a season, and Saudi is now among its stops after it inaugurated the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the first edition. There are also speculations that the Saudi government is trying to buy F1 itself for $20 billion, although Liberty Media, the competition owner, rejected the bid outright.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Al Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo himself is a brand. Where he goes is an event. Saudi Pro League, the country's top-flight football league, became the talk of the town after Al Nassr signed the Portuguese superstar for $200 million per season in 2021. This partnership opened up more doors for players from Europe to the point that the UEFA chief was called to take action about their players' exodus to Saudi.

3. Boxing heavyweights slug it out in the desert

Boxing is a fixture in Saudi Arabia; many heavyweights have already graced the country. First was the "Clash On The Dunes" fight between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua II in December 2019. It was followed by the fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua II titled "Rage on the Red Sea." The latest mega fight is the lucrative crossover fight between mixed martial arts fighter Francis Ngannou and boxing champ Tyson Fury. Many legendary combat sports personalities like Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, and Conor McGregor attended the event who also revealed that he will fight in the desert someday.

Future major sports events in Saudi

1. Tennis - New Masters 1000 Tournament

British reports Saudi is making a bid to host an additional Masters 1000 joust for men's tennis. A Masters is considered a warm-up tournament for Grand Slam. The Saudi event will come before the Australian Open.

2. Cricket - Twenty20 cricket tournament

If the Saudi Pro League can attract big names in football, the country aims to duplicate that in cricket as it plans to build a new Twenty20 cricket tournament that could rival the Indian Pro League. Reports revealed the new competition will make attempts to get the services of star cricketers like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.