For 72 hours over the weekend, Saudi Arabia dominated the sporting world, not through competition, but through money. Here's how:
forward’s career will almost certainly end after signing a contract that will run until 2025.Ronaldo is the new poster boy of Saudi’s unabashed ambition, even if his appearances for Al Nassr garner nominal interest. So long as he remains here, his millions of followers will be encouraged not to dwell upon concerns they might have about Saudi Arabia’s dismal human rights record. Ronaldo legitimises a regime that Amnesty International does not believe deserves it.
The sight of Paul, ungainly and uncertain, sparring with the inexperienced Fury for eight rounds was a reminder that Saudi Arabia’s latest big event was not on the scale of its predecessors but it did not stop millions around the globe from parting with a pay-per-view sum to watch it all unfold. Al-Rumayyan, one of the most influential figures in Saudi Arabia as head of PIF and chair of oil giant Aramco, had made a point of being there to see Newcastle’s first final since 1999 and watched alongside minority shareholder Amanda Staveley. Manchester United owner Avram Glazer was in the same row of seats.
There was little of the razzmatazz seen in Riyadh and only signs that this remains a project struggling to convince anyone it is worth watching. On-course crowds were small, while commercial and broadcast partners are still few and far between. Most of the international audience for a 54-hole tournament were made to watch through a new app launched in time for a season that will conclude in Jeddah this November.
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