The Kingdom’s rise continues as Saudi Arabia 2025 sports events span motorsport, football, tennis, boxing and beyond
When it comes to ambition in sport, few nations are moving with the pace and punch of Saudi Arabia. With glittering events across football, Formula 1, tennis, boxing, golf, and even e-sports, Saudi Arabia’s 2025 sports events calendar isn’t just busy—it’s bold, brash, and bordering on unstoppable.
Since 2019, the Kingdom has hosted more than 100 elite international events spanning over 40 different sports. What began as a soft push into the global sporting arena has become a full-scale revolution. From heavyweight boxing bouts and F1 night races to tennis showdowns and esports Olympics, Saudi Arabia has become one of the most prominent and powerful new players in the global sports landscape.
And if 2025 is anything to go by, that influence isn’t slowing down any time soon.
From F1 to football: The Kingdom’s blockbuster calendar
The year kicked off in typical Saudi fashion—with a bang. The Spanish and Italian Super Cups were played in front of packed-out stadiums, as some of Europe’s biggest football clubs touched down for high-profile showdowns in January.
It was a scene that would’ve been hard to imagine a decade ago—now it feels almost routine.
But football was just the beginning.
The Dakar Rally, one of motorsport’s toughest challenges, again weaved through Saudi’s vast desert terrain in January. And by February, the energy shifted from the sands to the lights and cameras of the UFC octagon, where Israel Adesanya headlined a dramatic Fight Night event against Nassourdine Imavov.
Throw in the Formula E E-Prix, the high-stakes Saudi Cup—the richest horse race on the planet—and LIV Golf’s Riyadh showcase, and it’s clear: in Saudi Arabia, even the early months of the year pack a serious sporting punch.
And now, as April arrives, the spotlight turns again to motorsport with the return of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah—marking its fifth straight year on the Formula 1 calendar. With its high-speed street layout and glittering night-time visuals, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit has become a fan favourite, a race that’s both a test of nerve and spectacle.
Then there’s the AFC Champions League Elite Finals, also taking place in April—cementing Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in Asian football.
A global stage for tennis, snooker and even e-sports
Looking further ahead, Saudi Arabia’s 2025 calendar branches into sports traditionally associated with very different corners of the world.
Come November, the WTA Tour Finals return for a third successive year, bringing together the top eight women’s tennis players on the planet for a season-ending showdown in Riyadh. It’s another statement event—and another example of how the Kingdom is pulling sporting gravity toward the Gulf.
December will see the ATP Next Gen Finals arrive too—this time giving tennis fans a look at the sport’s rising stars, some of whom could define the next decade. If the WTA Finals celebrate the present, the ATP Next Gen is all about the future—and the fact that Saudi is hosting both only underlines its cross-generational strategy.
Then there’s snooker, which is still somewhat new on the Saudi stage. After a successful debut in 2024, the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters will return later this year. It’s another step in bringing niche, traditionally Western-centric sports to a Middle Eastern audience.
And of course, e-sports. The Olympic Games for e-sports, developed in collaboration with the IOC, is expected to take place in Saudi Arabia this year—marking a huge leap in the Kingdom’s embrace of digital sports culture. With plans for a long-term partnership already in place, it’s not just about hosting—it’s about shaping the very structure of competitive gaming on a global scale.
Future Olympics? The Kingdom’s sporting ambition knows no ceiling
While the 2025 calendar is stacked, what comes next could be even more seismic.
Sources close to the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee suggest that a bid for the 2036 or 2040 Summer Olympics is firmly on the table. The planned mega-project city of Qiddiya, still under construction, would act as the Olympic Village, assuming a bid is successful.
Of course, if the Games do come to Saudi Arabia, it’s widely expected that the schedule would shift to the winter months to avoid the extreme summer heat—similar to the adjustments made for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
And speaking of FIFA—Saudi Arabia’s most high-profile prize is already in the bag. The country will host the men’s FIFA World Cup in 2034, a monumental moment that has already drawn global headlines and significant scrutiny.
A portfolio that extends far beyond its borders
Saudi Arabia isn’t just hosting sporting events—it’s funding, owning, and influencing them around the globe.
The Public Investment Fund (PIF), the nation’s sovereign wealth vehicle, now holds controlling stakes in Newcastle United, as well as four Saudi Pro League clubs: Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli. Between them, they’ve spent well over £1 billion luring football’s elite over the past two seasons.
The PIF also bankrolls LIV Golf, is developing a new global boxing league with UFC president Dana White, and has entered into major partnerships with tennis governing bodies ATP and WTA.
Even outside of ownership, the Kingdom’s branding is everywhere. Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s energy giant, sponsors Formula 1 and the International Cricket Council (ICC). Visit Saudi logos appear across La Liga, the AFC, and the CAF.
And then there’s Sela, the Saudi entertainment brand behind Newcastle’s shirt sponsor—a symbol of how deep this investment now runs.
The critics remain vocal
Not everyone is applauding this rise, however. Accusations of sportswashing continue to shadow the Kingdom’s sporting surge. Critics argue that Saudi Arabia’s investment in global sport is a means to deflect attention from ongoing concerns over human rights, environmental issues, and freedom of speech.
A report by Amnesty International released earlier this month claimed more than 345 executions took place in Saudi Arabia in 2024 alone—double the number from the previous year. Cases of capital punishment and restrictions on expression remain focal points for concern.
Environmental groups, too, have voiced opposition to the Kingdom’s prominent sporting sponsorships. Freddie Daley, of climate group Badvertising, said:
“Saudi Arabia is a country deeply dependent on fossil fuels… It is promoting and normalising high-carbon products to billions of fans.”
Yet, Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz has pushed back strongly against these accusations.
“A lot of the people that accuse us of that haven’t been to Saudi, or seen what we are doing,” he told the BBC.
Not every pitch is a home run
While the sporting project continues to grow, Saudi Arabia hasn’t landed everything it’s reached for. The country reportedly made an offer to host a major darts tournament, but Barry Hearn, the sport’s long-time promoter, gave them a flat-out no.
“Can we have alcohol?” Hearn asked.
“No,” they said.
“Then you can’t have the darts,” came the reply.
It was a rare rejection—one that shows not all sports are easily swayed by big money. But it’s also a footnote in what is otherwise a rising trajectory that few nations can match right now.
One of sport’s biggest forces—whether the world likes it or not
And if the current momentum continues, the question won’t be whether Saudi Arabia is part of the sports world’s future—but how big a role it will play in shaping it.
