In a few short years, Saudi Arabia has become one of the biggest players in world sports. Capitalising on the pandemic, it has unleashed its oil-backed financial power and made inroads in most of the world’s top sporting industries.

It’s growing dominance over golf, inroads into the Premier League and eye-wateringly expensive deals for some of football’s biggest stars are just a few indicators of the kingdom's takeover.

But this has been met with widespread criticism. Accusations of sport-washing and human rights abuses have followed, coming from industry insiders and fan groups alike.

In this episode of The i Podcast, we are unpacking why the Middle-Eastern country is making such a bold move and the major impact it is having on teams and communities,  

Joining us is northern football correspondent Mark Douglas and chief football writer Daniel Storey to shed light on the events as they have unfolded and the consequences for “the beautiful game”. 

We also have professor of sport and geopolitical economy at SKEMA business school in Paris, Simon Chadwick, to provide his expert insight on the Saudi expansion and what it means in geopolitical terms.

Produced by Albert Evans, the assistant producer was Sebastian Piette Pereira. Edited by Julia Webster.

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