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Saudi Arabia’s Next Footballing Frontier: From the World Football Summit 2025 to World Cup 2024



Overview

Rewind to early December 2024 and the AEI team were buzzing around the World Football Summit, speaking on panels, catching up with clients and meeting new faces as the global supply chain of the footballing world gathered in Riyadh. Whether you were in consulting, tech, data, education, manufacturing or just a passionate football fan, at the summit there was great anticipation of a key announcement only a couple of days away – Saudi Arabia winning the bid to host the 2034 World Cup.

Fast forward one year on and the successful bid has put the Saudi football sector to work. The game has kicked off, and the nine-year countdown to 2034 begins.


This sets up for a fascinating World Football Summit in Riyadh this week (10-11th December), as the ‘if’ conversations turn to ‘when.’  From club CEOs, league presidents to media giants and investors, all will be discussing strategy, partnerships, infrastructure, logistics and much more. Preparing Saudi to be the first single nation hosting the 48 team (whispers of more) World Cup tournament in history will be no mean feat. There could be no better vehicle than using the biggest, most viewed sporting competition on the planet to support the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision to becoming an international hub for sports and tourism, but the legacy and sustainability plan is that is arguably most exciting.


The World Football Summit, Riyadh 2025


The WFS is back in town, gearing up to be much bigger than the last. With over 2,000 attendees, 150+ speakers from over 80 countries1 situated in Riyadh’s MISK City, will discuss all things football business and innovation. In the nation’s capital global and local businesses will be keen to get early mover advantage in negotiations, and partnerships as the runway to the World Cup in the Kingdom opens up.


However, it’s not just the World Cup creating opportunity. The Saudi sports sector has seen incredible growth over the last few years, from F1 and Formula E, to live boxing, LIV Golf, and ATP /  King’s Slam tennis all providing great fan experience from around the world. But its not just for the international community. The influx of these tournaments and fixtures creates a significant demand for a sport and domestic tourism ecosystem that also encourages Saudi fan engagement and mass participation in sport, one of the key objectives of Vision 20230. The international investor community should not overlook that the target is the c35m population, with a remarkably young demographic that are changing the face society in the Kingdom.


Of note, an expanding local ecosystem welcoming international events has a tangible benefit on so many levels including transport, education and health. The Saudi sports sector was valued at just shy of SAR 5 billion (USD $1.33 billion) in 2016, expanding to SAR 32 billion (USD $8.53 billion) in 2025, nearly a 7-fold increase in less than a decade. The sector is estimated to reach a value of SAR 84 billion (USD $22.4 billion) by 2030. Furthermore, over 70 new sports federations have been established in that timeframe across Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines. Despite this, the most impressive statistic resides in sports participations rates since the launch of Vision 2030, which is up from 13% to 48% this year.2


AEI at the World Football Summit

At AEI we are at the forefront of supporting foreign businesses entering the Saudi market. Understanding the socio-economic factors, regulatory updates and transformation Saudi Arabia is going through as part of Vision2030 provides key value to our clients who provide their expertise to the Saudi sports and football industry. Our CEO, Stuart D’Souza will be speaking on a panel focused on the shared business value of sponsorships, brand exposure and measurable partnerships. Stuart will share key insights into:

  • Why understanding the regulatory environment is critical

  • Navigating risk and partnership challenges

  • The importance of long-term strategic commitment

  • Lessons learned from real expansion journeys


World Cup 2034 – A single host nation with huge ambition

 

The first 48-team World Cup tournament in a single host country will be set across the five host cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, Abha, Al Khobar and NEOM, with 15 proposed stadiums, 134 training sites and over 230,000 room keys. Stadiums and infrastructure will also be built in numerous other host locations such as Tabuk, Al Madinah, and Jazan supporting team base camps. Of the 15 proposed stadiums, four are existing, three currently under construction and eight new planned builds. The international supply chain has the ability to support amongst other things critical transport links, local sustainable energy and water supplies all of which leave a legacy beyond the tournament. Opening up all of this infrastructure to local communities including schools and universities is not a bi-product of the tournament, it is a strategic objective.


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Aramco Stadium (left) and King Salman International Stadium (right) concept design



Football for 2034 and football for the future


Naturally this all comes at a cost. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar cost an estimated USD $229 billion to host, 15 x more than Russia spent for the 2018 event4. Famously most host countries complete the tournament without turning a profit, however the use of stadiums and infrastructure, if managed correctly, can create long term value for the local population. It is not just about the short term $ return on investment. Several Qatar World Cup stadiums have been downsized considerably, many at 50% capacity today5 and are used as multi-purpose assets including concerts and event venues.

The Saudi nation will also want a return on its investment, the growth of the Saudi Pro League and the domestic participation of sports provides a great opportunity to fulfill this objective. Expanding the domestic football league, improving match attendances, and continuing to host international clubs and tournaments is part of the asset management plan. Perhaps the most desirable outcome is the use of assets for the younger and next generations as domestic sport continues to grow. With 63% of the population aged under 30, there are currently 70,000+ girls playing in school football leagues and a 149% growth of women’s participation in sport since 20156, this is transformational.


Summary


The 2034 World Cup seen by many around the world as the back stop that the Vision 20230 programme will be judged on by the international community. It has the opportunity to showcase the Kingdom and its population with all of its proud heritage, but also the focused modernity agenda. The opportunity for the international supply chain is unique, not only generating good business revenue, but also leaving their own legacy on a nation that is transforming. Most importantly is what the Saudi population gain from the event. A nine year runway of opportunity across infrastructure, health, and education benefits that contribute to short term transformation of the national and local economies. But what lies beyond 2034 that is most exciting. The cultural, societal and economic benefits has the ability to last for generations.  


At AEI Saudi we help foreign businesses contribute to this growth by providing market entry strategy, company formation, Government liaison services and on the ground operational support for your business, and people. If you are in Riyadh for the World Football Summit 2025, come and see us for a conversation, or get in touch with us to discuss how we can help your business become part of the exciting sporting transformation happening right now in the Kingdom.


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