Sports like mixed martial arts (MMA) will experience revolutionary growth and development in the Kingdom and the wider Middle East as Saudi Arabia continues to prioritize investments in non-oil sectors as part of its economic diversification agenda, analysts told Al Arabiya English.
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The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the second-largest and fastest-growing MMA organization, attracted media attention in August when sports investment business SRJ Sports revealed it had made its first investment. In order to increase its geographical influence, the PFL also disclosed that it would establish a new league in the Middle East in 2024.
Sports like mixed martial arts (MMA) will experience revolutionary growth and development in the Kingdom and the wider Middle East as Saudi Arabia continues to prioritize investments in non-oil sectors as part of its economic diversification agenda, analysts told Al Arabiya English.
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the second-largest and fastest-growing MMA organization, attracted media attention in August when sports investment business SRJ Sports revealed it had made its first investment. In order to increase its geographical influence, the PFL also disclosed that it would establish a new league in the Middle East in 2024.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia created SRJ Sports in order to promote the sector’s expansion throughout the Middle East and North Africa. According to Sports Executive and Analyst Alwaleed Alkeaid, it indicates a transformative moment for MMA in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the region through its partnership with the PFL.
Beyond the glitz and glamour of high-stakes fights, SRJ’s main goal is to further integrate mixed martial arts (MMA) into Saudi Arabia and the MENA region’s sports culture. This might result in programs that encourage widespread MMA involvement, he said.
Global attention will “undeniably steer” towards Saudi Arabia as it sets itself as a hub for elite MMA showdowns with the Kingdom also scheduled to host the PFL PPV Super Fights, the sports executive claimed.
MMA is one of the most well-liked sports in the world and the one with the fastest growth. The last five years have seen a sharp increase in interest in the sport in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East.
“With MMA being one of the fastest growing sports globally, we have seen an exponential increase in demand and excitement within the Middle East for sports, and then even more specifically for MMA,” said Adam Laitsas, PFL Executive Vice President for International Strategy and Business Operations for the MENA region.
“From a sporting standpoint, the Middle East is most likely the hottest region in the globe right now. The Middle East is currently receiving everything due of the demand from followers.
Providing MMA fans with their own league featuring competitors from the Middle East is a crucial component of the PFL’s ambition for the PFL MENA, according to Laitsas, who spoke to Al Arabiya English.
The practice of viewers from the region tuning in at all hours of the night to see their favorite international fighters duel from another continent has become commonplace. According to the new agreement, SRJ and PFL will collaborate to create and present PFL PPV SUPER FIGHTS mega-events in Saudi Arabia that are catered to local fans.
If you will, we want to create something akin to the Champions League of MMA. Our strategy is to give regional fans access to a league where they can follow the action, where we can create compelling narratives, and where champions and heroes can be developed, according to Laitsas.
“It is essential for us to tap into that ecosystem that exists and produce world champions from that region through partnerships with local powers.”
Khalid al-Rubian, a sports marketing specialist and writer, told Al Arabiya English that dozens of MMA clubs have been established in Saudi Arabia over the years. However, with the monumental debut of PFL MENA, Saudi Arabia and the Middle East will enter a new domain in MMA, which will see the sport become even more competitive and well-liked throughout the region, he added.
The partnership between PFL and SRJ Sports ushers in a fascinating age for the hordes of MMA fans dispersed around the Kingdom and the Middle East, according to Sports Executive Alkeaid.
A standout feature is the pledge to hold PFL PPV Super Fights in Saudi Arabia, giving fans the luxury of watching MMA masters in action without having to travel across borders. The establishment of PFL MENA heightens this excitement by ensuring fans that local competitors would receive greater prominence and perhaps develop into local MMA idols that they can support, said Alkeaid.
“As the PFL expands its reach, the MMA calendar is set to brim with a variety of events, from the regular season to thrilling playoffs and championships, ensuring that fans remain hooked all year long.”
Saudi Arabia’s strategic investment in a variety of sports, from football to mixed martial arts, is a step toward the country’s larger economic diversification objectives set forth in its Vision 2030 plan.
“Sports are the most effective means Saudi Arabia has found to restructure and build its economy. Sports marketing expert and author Khalid al-Rubian told Al Arabiya English that investing in sports tenfold increases the likelihood that the Kingdom would accomplish its objectives.
You may communicate at the highest levels through sports. The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives include a minor but crucial portion on sports investment in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Rubian noted that the Kingdom has placed significant emphasis on the need to serve the needs and interests of its greatest demographic, which comprises about 70 percent of Saudi nationals under the age of 30.
Male and female mass engagement in sports has surged, from 13% in 2015 to around 50% in 2022. In the meanwhile, Saudi Arabia already has over 95 sports federations, up from 32 in 2015, indicating possibilities for investment.
Alkeaid asserts that Saudi Arabia is actively working to diversify its economic sources and lessen its reliance on oil revenues by increasing the size of the sports market from its value of $5.75 billion (SAR 21.6 billion) in 2022 to an ambitious target of $22.2 billion (SAR 83.33 billion) by 2030.
Its continued investments in many sports sectors also support its objective of increasing sports’ non-oil GDP contribution to 3%.
Sports investments are anticipated to “create a ripple effect in terms of job opportunities,” in addition to the direct cash benefit, he said.
Alkeaid continued, “There is clear evidence of the employment-generation potential of such investments,” with a goal to create up to 100,000 job possibilities inside the sports industry.
Al-Rubian stated to Al Arabiya English that the PIF’s move to purchase a sizable portion of four significant Saudi football teams would have the most domestic impact on Saudi youth employment chances.
“There will be 30,000 to 40,000 jobs created in just the first two years, which is a great indicator of the Kingdom’s continued investment and support for the youth and their employment,” he stated at the time.
The Kingdom will likely meet its employment goal by making investments in other sports in addition to football, and it may even achieve this goal before 2030.
Alkeaid added that the Kingdom is laying the groundwork for innovation and private-public partnerships that can broaden the reach and impact of sports in the nation by aiming for a 30% contribution from the private sector to the sports domain.
Last but not least, he added, holding international sporting events like MMA contests will necessitate state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
This not only improves the nation’s sporting infrastructure but also opens up lucrative sports tourism opportunities, which helps the Kingdom’s economy even more,” the sports executive stated.
