Saudi Arabia leads regional growth with mega-events, privatization, and $38 billion investment in esports push
UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain drive impact through global hosting, elite talent, and infrastructure development
The Middle East is fast becoming one of the most influential players in global sports, according to global management consultancy Kearney’s latest report, From passion to profit: unlocking value in sports. With the region experiencing a rapid and sustained growth rate across key segments, it is emerging as a major force in the global sports industry, driving innovation and investment that are reshaping the sector’s future.
With the global sports market expected to reach $600+ billion by 2030, the region is driving a transformation fueled by strategic investment, forward-looking policy, and technology-enabled innovation. Saudi Arabia, in particular, is emerging as a global benchmark, combining world-class hosting with systemic reform and sector-wide development.
The momentum is visible across multiple fronts. On the global stage, the region has solidified its reputation as a premier destination for high-profile events: hosting everything from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the Bahrain Grand Prix to the Dubai Tennis Championships and soon, the Olympic Esports Games in Saudi Arabia. These events are not just about spectacle; they signal a strategic effort to position the region at the heart of global sporting calendars.
Behind the scenes, infrastructure investment is accelerating. Governments across the Middle East are committing billions to develop next-generation stadiums, elite training academies, and integrated digital platforms. Saudi Arabia has allocated significant budgets toward sports infrastructure as part of its Vision 2030 agenda, while the UAE and Qatar continue to grow their ecosystems for high-performance sports and global talent attraction. Following an announcement by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Dubai will host the inaugural World Sports Summit in December 2025, further reinforcing the region’s growing influence on the global sports stage.
The region is also pushing hard into digital-native sectors, with esports emerging as a focal point. Saudi Arabia’s $38 billion investment to become a global hub for gaming is emblematic of a wider regional effort to tap into younger demographics through streaming, immersive content, and competitive gaming platforms. This youth-centric focus is being mirrored in broader fan engagement strategies across the ME.
Women’s participation is another key area of growth. New professional women’s football leagues in the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia are expanding access and visibility, while initiatives across schools and communities are driving higher levels of inclusion. In Saudi Arabia alone, female participation in sport has increased by 150% since the launch of Vision 2030, an indicator of how deeply sports are being woven into the region’s social fabric.
Kearney’s report highlights five key growth levers that organizations can use capture a greater share of future growth:
Commercial excellence: maximizing revenue across media rights, sponsorship, matchday, merchandise, and talent monetization
Fan engagement and insights: using data to understand fan behavior, personalize content, and increase loyalty and spend
Platform expansion: building or partnering with streaming and digital platforms to deliver richer, more monetizable fan experiences
Technology-driven innovation: applying tech across advertising, ticketing, content, and performance to unlock new revenue streams and efficiencies
Operational efficiency: adopting business best practices to reduce costs, streamline operations, and professionalize structures
“What distinguishes the Middle East is its forward-looking approach. Free from legacy constraints, the region is innovating at scale: from Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard and Qatar’s integrated World Cup infrastructure to the UAE’s growing ecosystem of digital fan platforms,” said Mohamed Hashem, Partner, Sports Lead for MEA at Kearney. “Rather than replicating Western models, countries across the region are testing new frameworks that align sport with broader economic and societal ambitions.”
