List of sports Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in

The West Asian nation extends its grip in the sporting domain.

Saudi Arabia is steadily making its presence felt in the world of sports. The primary reason being it is looking to branch out and diversify its economy which would greatly reduce its reliance on its surplus oil reserves. Recently the news of Saudi Arabia's investment in tennis has come to the fore.

Apparently Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is considering a major investment in professional tennis, according to media reports. If rumours are to be believed the talk ended on a positive note between the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the PIF. ATP chief Andrea Gaudenzi said "the organisation has met with PIF to discuss potential partnership and sponsorship options".

The news has garnered a positive response from many tennis players especially the outspoken and flamboyant Nick Kyrgios and current world number one Carlos Alcaraz. However former player John McEnroe has a different opinion on the subject altogether. "I don't know why the hell tennis would suddenly talk to the Saudis after the debacle that you're watching in golf," said the flashy Johnny Mac. Despite that unwanted hitch there's no stopping the ongoing Saudi investment.

Keeping that in mind here's a look at the other sports disciplines which are heavily funded by the KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

E-Sports

When it comes to sports, Saudi Arabia is leaving nothing out of its investment bracket. Even the world of e-sports falls in it's purview. The sovereign wealth fund has invested $38 billion in the $184 billion global gaming market in recent years through its subsidiary, Savvy Games Group. What began as an esports venture has evolved into a desire to develop, publish, and acquire major video games.

Statistically Saudi Arabia’s 21 million gamers make up about 58% of the population - compared to the United States’ 66%, per Niko Partners. It is assumed that there will be a huge hike in the Middle Eastern market upto $2.79 billion. As per insidethegames Saudi Arabia is also planning to build a $500 million (£393 million/€458 million) "esports city" in its capital Riyadh.

Boxing

It was reported that they paid around 100 million to host two fights of Anthony Joshua since 2019. However there is speculation that there are much bigger things to come. Some major "super fights" are brewing in the pipeline and we can expect to see them in the following year.

F1

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was held for the first time in 2021. It was part of a 10-year, $650 million deal that would have one race per year held in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco also has a 10-year, $450 million sponsorship deal with the motorsport league.

That effectively took Saudi's deal with F1 over a billion over the next decade. There were also reports that Saudi offered Liberty Media $20 billion dollars for negotiating the transaction.

WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment)

Wrestling fans must be familiar with the Crown Jewel PPV (pay per view). WWE organizes it every year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Apart from that the Super ShowDown is another PPV that is a staple yearly fixture of the WWE.

Apparently the Saudi Arabia and WWE agreed to a 10-year deal worth $1 billion in 2018. As part of the deal, two major WWE events per year would take place in the country. The Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018 was the first PPV in Saudi Arabia.

Football

Saudi Arabia made its presence felt in the English Premier League in 2021 by acquiring Newcastle United for around $408 million. In fact its recent signings of top football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo to Al-Nassr FC and Karim Benzema to Al-Ittihad club shows their dominance in the football world. The West Asian country were also said to bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup but later withdrew from the hosting race.

Golf

The year 2022 saw the advent of the Saudi LIV Golf for the first time. It created the first major challenger to the PGA tour. No one clearly knows how much PIF threw in the pool to arrange the event. However the amount of money it offered to buy some players was reported.

Phil Mickelson, for example, received $200 million. The organizers even went upto Tiger Woods and made him a grand offer of $800 million. The American however did not agree to the terms. Former world number one Rory Mcllroy too was allegedly offered $500 million which he denied receiving.

As such speculations are rife about how much the PIF will be putting into the league once it merges with the PGA and DP Tour.