Mideast sports market set for 8.7% growth, says report
With over 50% of the population in GCC countries under 25, the region's youth are reshaping the sports landscape. While football remains dominant, young consumers are increasingly engaging with padel, esports, golf, basketball, and mixed martial arts (MMA), stated PwC in its latest Sports Industry Outlook: Insights and Opportunities for the Middle East.
Government Initiatives
The report highlights the evolution of the Middle East's sports sector across seven key pillars, including government initiatives, private investment, women's sports, and technological innovation.
National transformation programmes in key GCC economies are positioning sport as a central pillar of economic diversification and social development.
According to PwC's Global Sports Survey 2024, the Middle East now leads 24% of global sports investments, significantly increasing its global influence.
By attracting both public and private investments, the region is building a dynamic sports ecosystem that serves as a key pillar of economic growth and international prominence.
Sustainable sports development
Countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar are investing in sports infrastructure that prioritises renewable energy, water conservation, and smart technologies, setting new benchmarks for sustainable sports development, said the PwC report.
These efforts reinforce the region's ability to host world-class events and attract global audiences, it stated.
Technology in sports
The Middle East is adopting generative AI (GenAI) with measured optimism, particularly in esports and gaming. Investments in smart venues, digital fan experiences, and data analytics are enhancing user experiences and operational efficiency.
Women's Role
Women's sports in the Middle East are experiencing unprecedented growth. Eighty-five percent of sports executives forecast double-digit growth in women's sports revenues over the next three to five years.
This surge in interest is transforming the competitive landscape and attracting substantial media and sponsorship opportunities. With governments, organisations, and brands prioritising women's sports, the sector is set for continued expansion, opening new avenues for female athletes across the region.
Nicolas Mayer, PwC Middle East Partner, Tourism, Sports and Entertainment Leader, said: "The Middle East continues to make significant strides in establishing itself as a premier destination for major sporting events."
"Its focus on creating lasting impact across multiple dimensions is positioning the region as a global sports leader, with ambitions extending far beyond the sports arena," he stated.
The Middle East's sports sector is rapidly evolving, driven by strategic investments, innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity, positioning the region for continued global leadership in sports, he added.- TradeArabia News Service
Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
2 hours ago
- Zawya
South Africa businesses embrace GenAI – but strategy and skills lagging, finds 2025 Roadmap
South African enterprises are rapidly integrating generative AI (GenAI) into their operations, but most are doing so without formal strategies, dedicated leadership, or the infrastructure required to maximise value and minimise risk. This is the key finding of the newly released South African Generative AI Roadmap 2025, based on a study by World Wide Worx in collaboration with Dell Technologies and Intel. The report, which surveys over 100 mid-sized and large enterprises across industry sectors, shows that GenAI adoption has climbed from 45% of large enterprises in 2024 to 67% in 2025. This dramatic rise positions GenAI as the fastest-moving digital trend in the country. However, in a rush to adopt the fast-growing technology, there is a need for organisations to take the foundational steps of planning and governance. Doing so will more clearly connect AI to people and processes and help organisations reap genuine, sustaining ROI. 'Many organisations are simply unaware of the gaps they're leaving in their systems,' says Arthur Goldstuck, CEO of World Wide Worx and principal analyst of the study. 'The risk goes beyond the technical, and includes reputational, ethical, and operational vulnerability. While the first step of technology adoption is well underway, our survey demonstrates there is room for operational growth.' According to the report's findings, AI adoption has brought clear benefits to the organisations using it: - 86% of GenAI users cite increased competitiveness as a result of using AI tools. - 83% report improved productivity. - 66% see enhanced customer service. Yet, behind these numbers lies an operational gap: - Only 14% of organisations have a formal company-wide GenAI strategy. - Just 13% have implemented governance or ethical frameworks in the form of guardrails for safety, privacy and bias mitigation. - 39% cite high implementation cost as the primary barrier to GenAI adoption. AI maturity requires foundations 'The roadmap aims to help guide stakeholders to fully understand the scope of GenAI, and to build transparent strategies that deliver on its promise without placing enterprises at risk,' says Goldstuck. 'What's most startling is that many companies think using a GenAI tool is the same as having an AI strategy.' As companies race to embed GenAI tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT into business functions, most are overlooking deeper transformation through infrastructure, skills and internal capability. Holistic AI infrastructure, combined with people and processes, is critical to scaling AI deployments and clearly connecting them to tangible return on investment. Shadow AI The report raises the alarm about 'shadow AI' – the unsanctioned use of GenAI by employees without oversight. Currently: - 32% of businesses report informal or unregulated GenAI use. - A further 20% report a mix of official and unofficial GenAI use. - 84% say oversight is an important or very important success factor for GenAI deployment. Critical governance measures include clear principles for oversight, accountability, and responsible use. It enables organisations to build trust, reduce risk, and drive long-term value. 'The current use of GenAI is largely taking place in a regulatory and ethical vacuum,' Goldstuck warns. 'The longer this continues, the more harm can be caused, to both businesses and individuals, before these guardrails are in place. 'Without governance, organisations are walking blindfolded into a future shaped by AI. That might be exciting, but it is not sustainable.' The roadmap also identifies two areas of opportunity: - Business and Societal impact: Over 75% of respondents have no measures in place to monitor or reduce the energy use and footprint of GenAI. - Skills development: A massive 87% of businesses have committed to GenAI upskilling or training of employees. The report cautions that South Africa could find itself divided by the ability to use GenAI wisely and scale deployments as the technology matures. Goldstuck says: 'There's a real risk of a GenAI disconnect in South Africa between those who use GenAI deliberately, strategically and ethically, and those who use it blindly or not at all.' About World Wide Worx: World Wide Worx is South Africa's leading independent technology research organisation, focused on delivering evidence-based insights for digital transformation.
Zawya
8 hours ago
- Zawya
Alibaba Cloud named a leader in Omdia's latest GenAI report
Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, has been recently named a market leader in Omdia's latest report, 'Market Radar: GenAI Cloud Titans in Asia & Oceania 2025.' The report positions Alibaba Cloud in the 'Leader' quadrant, highlighting its generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) capabilities and comprehensive product portfolio across the Asia & Oceania region. Alibaba Cloud is named one of four leaders among nine global vendors evaluated in Omdia's report, receiving the highest 'Advanced' rating in seven out of nine categories. Among the four companies designated as "Leader," Alibaba Cloud received the most "Advanced" ratings. The report evaluated nine key dimensions, including GenAI models, model optimization, GenAI infrastructure, development platforms, deployment, security, and developer community engagement. 'Alibaba Cloud offers end-to-end technology capabilities, including foundation models, GenAI platform, infrastructure, and applications. This positions it as a significant competitor in the global GenAI landscape,' said Omdia in the report. The Omdia report highlighted Alibaba Cloud's strong position in the GenAI market, pointing to its full-stack GenAI solutions, comprehensive and developer-friendly AI platform offering and open source initiatives. Through its Model Studio and Platform for AI (PAI), Alibaba Cloud offers enterprises a user-friendly environment for building and deploying GenAI applications, supported by cutting-edge infrastructure including the PAI-Lingjun Intelligent Computing Service, according to the report. 'GenAI has captured the imagination of businesses in Asia and around the world, and we are grateful to be recognized for our leadership in helping companies implement its capabilities. Our commitment to open source is central to this, driving innovation through one of the largest AI ecosystems in the world. As we accelerate into the AI era, we want to make it as easy as possible for companies to harness the power of this technology and will continue to enhance our model family and solutions to ensure they have the support they need to thrive,' said Jingren Zhou, Chief Technology Officer of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. Since August 2023, Alibaba Cloud has actively contributed to the open-source AI community, releasing over 200 advanced AI models. These open-source efforts have resonated widely, as evidenced by the Qwen family surpassing 400 million downloads on platforms like Hugging Face and ModelScope and over 140,000 models built on Qwen by third parties, making it one of the most prominent AI model families worldwide. As of January 2025, more than 290,000 customers across various sectors, including robotics, healthcare, education, finance, and automotive, have adopted Qwen models via Model Studio, Alibaba's generative AI development platform. This momentum underscores Qwen's role in accelerating AI-powered digital transformation across industries in China. Omdia's report also notes that the GenAI software revenue in Asia & Oceania is estimated to be $5.5 billion in 2025. The market is expected to grow more than four times, reaching $19.8 billion in 2029. Currently, 27% of enterprises in Asia & Oceania are already deploying GenAI solutions, with an additional 33% piloting GenAI in at least one business function. For more information and to access the full report, please refer to this link.
Arabian Business
a day ago
- Arabian Business
Saudi Arabia's esports sector eyes $13.3bn GDP contribution by 2030
Saudi Arabia's esports industry is projected to contribute $13.3 billion to the Kingdom's GDP by 2030, according to analysis by PwC Middle East in collaboration with the Saudi Esports Federation. The sector could generate nearly 39,000 jobs as part of the country's Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy. The Kingdom's esports market is experiencing rapid growth, with revenue expected to exhibit an annual growth rate of 8.99 per cent from 2024 to 2029 and a projected market volume of $16.2 million by 2029. Media rights represent the largest segment, anticipated to reach $5.2 million in 2024. Saudi Arabia has 23.5 million gamers – around 67 per cent of the population, providing a substantial domestic base for esports growth. This demographic advantage, combined with government investment, has positioned the Kingdom as a key player in the regional gaming ecosystem. The Saudi Esports Federation, officially established on October 13, 2017, serves as the regulatory body for the sector. Since its establishment, the federation has organised multiple world-class national and international tournaments and events, attracted investment from local private sector actors, and worked with international developers on opportunities in the Saudi market. The Kingdom has established itself as a major tournament host, through the Esports World Cup. In October 2023, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the Esports World Cup, an annual competition which includes the most popular games. The 2025 edition features 25 events with over $70 million in prize money. Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, said: 'Hosting the Esports World Cup for the second year in a row reflects Saudi Arabia's and the MENA region's ambition to be at the forefront of the global gaming and esports ecosystem. It's proof that the region is no longer a spectator in the international gaming scene; it's a leader.' Previously known as Gamers8, the SEF-organised tournament announced the largest esports prize pool in history with $45 million for its 2023 event. Partnerships at the EWC include Moontoon, Secretlab, Logitech, Mastercard, Adidas, Pepsi, demonstrating significant commercial interest. Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, said: 'The Esports World Cup exists to empower communities, create lasting economic opportunities and firmly position the MENA region as the global heart of esports. By bringing together the best games, the greatest players, and the world's top esports clubs, we don't just create the biggest esports tournaments – we invest in sustainable growth, accelerate job creation, fuel regional industries from entertainment to tourism, and showcase the region's unmatched talent, infrastructure, and passion for gaming.' The broader Gulf region is experiencing strong esports growth. IMARC estimates the GCC esports market to exhibit a CAGR of 12.88 per cent during 2025 to 2033, driven by government initiatives, such as Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, significant investments in gaming infrastructure, and the region's young, tech-savvy population. Globally, worldwide esports revenue is expected to grow to $1.86 billion by 2025, nearly doubling its revenue from $996 million in 2020. Global esports had its largest-ever audience in 2021, with a viewership of 465.1 million people – up 6.7 per cent year on year. The Kingdom's esports development includes domestic leagues such as Saudi eLeague, designed to nurture local talent and build a competitive ecosystem. These initiatives complement major international tournaments, creating pathways for Saudi players to compete at the highest levels. Falcons: Driving Saudi talent to the global stage A key part of the Kingdom's esports ecosystem is Team Falcons, the leading Saudi Arabian esports organisation founded in 2017 by world champion FIFA player Mosaad Al-Dossary. Falcons has become a powerhouse in the scene, with more than 200 players, the majority of whom are Saudi, and 18 teams competing across top games such as EA FC, Fortnite, Rocket League, and Valorant. In an exclusive interview with Arabian Business, Al-Dossary said the momentum of Saudi Arabia's esports scene is 'absolutely amazing,' adding, 'I'm really glad to be a small part of what's happening. The environment is strong, it's helping everyone — even globally.' He credits the Kingdom's massive base of 23 million gamers as the foundation: 'We're talking about a passion of people who play in general. Obviously, that number needs to be utilised in terms of champions and players.' Falcons plays a central role in this vision. 'We give opportunities for people to work either as employees doing what they love, or as players who want to go on the biggest stage. We provide a full ecosystem to support them and make sure they are in the best shape,' Al-Dossary said. Falcons also supports the development of female players through dedicated teams and runs an academy for Saudi players. Looking ahead, Al-Dossary outlined a bold vision: 'We want to continue being one of the best esports organisations — the best — and we want to consistently win titles. But we also have a bigger role to play in sending positive messages to our audience. We want to be a lifestyle brand for everyone.' He also emphasised the importance of nurturing local talent. 'It takes time to build players and help them achieve what can be achieved, but I'm confident we have very talented players. Falcons can help and support them.' On the Esports World Cup, Al-Dossary is equally enthusiastic: 'The concept is absolutely amazing — having everyone during the festival for seven or eight weeks. It's a 360 model which helps everyone — publishers, teams, players, clubs — and every year it gets better.' When asked about challenges, Al-Dossary said the field holds no real concerns for Falcons: 'I don't think there are challenges. I think the audience and the prize pool are growing bigger and bigger. From experience, we are on the right path — it's exciting.' The Kingdom's National Gaming and Esports Strategy projects the sector could contribute $13.3 billion (SAR 50 billion) to GDP and generate nearly 39,000 jobs by 2030. This represents a significant component of the Vision 2030 economic diversification program. The strategy encompasses the entire esports value chain, from tournament organisation and broadcasting to talent development and technology infrastructure. Local private sector investment is increasing, with companies recognising the commercial potential of the growing gaming community. Initiatives like the Esports World Cup and the upcoming Olympic Esports Games in 2025 showcase Saudi Arabia's commitment to becoming a hub for esports excellence. The Kingdom's investment in world-class facilities and tournament infrastructure has attracted major international competitions. Saudi Arabia's esports sector is positioned for continued growth, supported by strong demographics, government backing, and increasing international recognition.
