The Arabian Peninsula is the center of the largest economic and infrastructure investment within the Middle East’s burgeoning sports sector and has become one of the industry’s most lucrative markets in the 21st century. While the Gulf states are spending large sums on their sporting ecosystems, they also attract some of the world’s biggest sporting competitions and events, with international clubs, leagues and promotions expanding their operations to the region.
N3XT Sports’ Digital Transformation Regional Market Report 2025 | Gulf focuses on the opportunities and benchmarks for transformation in the sporting ecosystems of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including the maturity of each country’s digital-fan ecosystem and athlete development pathways. Drawing on our expertise in the region, following the rollout of N3XT Sports’ regional office in Riyadh in May 2024, this report will examine key areas surrounding the digital transformation of the Gulf sports industry, including:
- Opportunities for garnering an international following via mobile;
- The necessary steps to developing digital athlete pathways among sports bodies;
- US and European sports-brand integration across the Gulf states;
- Using data for stadium development and sustaining fan attendance;
- Digital upskilling and cross-market collaboration within the Gulf sports sector;
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and its increasing influence in the Middle East.
Throughout the report, readers will also garner insights from high-level contributors in the regions, including Abdulaziz Baeshen, the CEO and Secretary General of the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee (SOPC), and Danny Townsend, CEO of SURJ Sports Investment, in addition to commentary from N3XT Sports CEO Mounir Zok and COO Hisham Shehabi, N3XT Sports’ regional lead.
