A critical review on sport and the Arabian Peninsula–the current state of play and future directions

Abstract

This article critically reviews the main themes and research agendas that have been explored to study the relationship between sport and the Arabian Peninsula. It identifies four key research trends in which sport and the Arabian Peninsula intersect: (a) soft power and the Arabian Peninsula, (b) nation branding or ‘sportswashing’, (c) broader case studies and impacts, and (d) the relationship between the global and local. This review is timely considering relevant contemporary events taking place both within and outside of the Arabian Peninsula in relation to sport. For example, the 2021 takeover of Newcastle United FC by a consortium consisting of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, the new LIV Golf Super League also funded through the PIF of Saudi Arabia, and the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar to name a few. These developments could represent a significant turning point in challenging our political and sociological understanding of sporting investment and mega-events. This article highlights the key trends and theoretical perspectives within the literature, as well as the lacunae such as the notable absence of scholarship on the global, regional and local dynamics of sport beyond the World Cup and Qatar in particular. Moreover, there has been a tendency to focus on top-down processes such as nation branding and soft power rather than a more nuanced approach at examining power at a micro/meso level through, for example, intergroup encounters. Therefore, this review establishes directions for future research in the context of sport and the Arabian Peninsula.