Since the start of the 2020s, the growth of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the global sports world has been a major surprise to many people. While prior to this emergence, the country did have an abundance of wealth and a significant population size, it was never known for its sporting achievements.
It all started in Nov. 2020, when Formula 1 announced that for the first time ever, they would race in Saudi Arabia. The inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was held on Dec. 5, 2021, in Jeddah, the country’s second most populous city. After proving itself to be an exciting race, Saudi Arabia has now become guaranteed a spot on the F1 calendar until the year 2030. Additionally, a new circuit is being built in Qiddiya City, which is set to become the new host of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, replacing Jeddah. This circuit is rumored to have the largest grandstand in the sports world. Formula 1 is rapidly growing in popularity, so hosting this race could further spark tourism in Saudi Arabia.
As stated prior, Formula 1 isn’t the only sport that Saudi Arabia is investing in, as they have attempted to promote tourism by growing in their country the world’s most popular sport: soccer.
Soccer is played all throughout the world; players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are known by people everywhere. Ronaldo, in particular, is undoubtedly one of the most famous humans on the planet, having the most followed Instagram account and a jersey that is worn in every country of the world. Consequently, when Ronaldo announced that he would be signing with Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr in 2023, the world began to take notice of Saudi Arabia on the global sports stage.
That following summer, many stars who played in Europe decided to make the shocking decision and leave their current club to go play in Saudi Arabia, a league not known for its quality of soccer.
Enzo Decena ’27 said, “The Saudi Pro League is still a joke despite all the signings of these big players. Half of the games have no fans, which just goes to show how little care they have for the league. However, Saudi Arabia has so much money that they have a chance to become one of the top leagues in the future.”
Additionally, Saudi Arabia also decided to invest in the UFC. On June 22, 2024, “UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov” became the first ever UFC event to be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The event was a success, and Saudi Arabia got another chance to host the UFC this past February, when “UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Imavov” took place.
Saudi Arabia’s rise in the sports world has not come without controversy. Many other athletes felt that the players going to Saudi Arabia were disrespecting the game by choosing to play in a significantly inferior league for a larger paycheck, especially apparent in younger players like Gabri Veiga and Jhon Duran, whom many believed had potential to become elite players in Europe before they made the shocking decision to go to Saudi Arabia at the age of 21.
Many people have said this is just another case of sportswashing, a term used to describe when a country uses sports as a way to distract others from the corruption and abuses happening under its regime. Saudi Arabia has been known for its mistreatment of women and lack of religious freedom. So the question is, should a country with glaring human rights violations be allowed to host major sporting events?
Hunter Hayes ’27 does not think so, stating, “I absolutely despise the fact that Saudi Arabia is growing throughout the sports world. Oil wealth should not be synonymous with sports, and a country with horrible human rights violations should not have the ability to host a World Cup and other major sporting events.”
Despite all the criticism and accusations of sportswashing, there’s no doubt that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is on track to become one of the most prominent countries in the world of sports.
