Speed of Fans: KSA

Saudi Arabia’s reputation for making eye-catching investments in global sport is long established. It was in 1978 when Riyadh’s Al-Hilal sensationally signed Brazilian World Cup winner Rivelino, while a year earlier, the Formula 1 team, Williams agreed a historic deal with the Kingdom’s national flag carrier Saudia.

As the Kingdom eyes sport as a prime accelerator of its Vision 2030, an ambitious plan to diversify its economy and transform Saudi life, plans have ramped up.

With FIFA’s recent announcement confirming that the 2034 World Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia, the rise to prominence is sealed. While much has been made of Saudi Arabia’s impact on sport and institutions that exist outside of the Kingdom, few have focused on fandom in this nation which holds a population of more than 35m. Vision 2030 places an emphasis on Saudi society and improving the life of citizens, therefore a sound sports partnerships and activation strategy must begin at home.

Through our Decoding 360 Platform, we have been able to identify a series of key insights which can help our partners understand the Saudi audience better, and therefore unlock opportunities to make meaningful connections with them through the power of sport.