ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to compare the sports investment policies of three Gulf states: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Since the 1990s, Doha and Abu Dhabi have invested massively in this sector in order to pursue various objectives: Improving their reputation, economic transition and diversification, search for prestige, polishing their image or branding strategy. Recently, Saudi Arabia under Mohammed ben Salman’s impulsion has followed the lead of its neighbours. This chapter analyses and compares the structure of the respective strategies of these Gulf Cooperation Council members. It also examines the goals that these three neighbours pursue through their sports investment strategies. By answering the questions of why and how these three oil monarchies invest heavily in sport, this chapter sheds light on the architecture and aims of these sport investment policies by comparing them.
