Move over, match day! The GCC is going for gold in the race to grab a chunk of the US$2 trillion global sports tourism pie. And if the latest PwC Middle East report is anything to go by, the region isn’t just warming up, it’s already well into the first lap.
Globally, sports tourism now accounts for around 10% of total tourism spending, and is sprinting towards the US$2 trillion mark by 2030, growing at a blistering 17.5% each year. Meanwhile, the Middle East’s sports industry is already worth a cool US$600 billion and climbing, fuelled by headline-grabbing events, mega-infrastructure projects, and government ambition that’s nothing short of Olympic-level.
From hosting to hustling
The PwC report, aptly titled Game On for the GCC: Turning Sporting Ambition into Lasting Tourism Impact, says it’s time for the region to level up. The region has already shown the world how to host a global tournaments, but the next goal is turning those weekend spectacles into year-round, experience-led tourism ecosystems.
So in essence, it’s not just about watching the game, but actually living it. Imagine visiting Dubai not only for the DP World Tour golf, but staying on for cycling events, beach runs, or to take a swing at Topgolf while watching the sunset. Or fans heading to Saudi Arabia for the Riyadh Season boxing matches and sticking around for motorsport, football and concerts.
Saudi Arabia is currently the region’s most valuable player
Are we even surprised that the Kingdom is sprinting ahead? Its domestic sports market is set to triple to US$22.4 billion by 2030, adding over US$13 billion to its GDP and creating 39,000 jobs along the way. That’s a winning scorecard by any standard. From hosting Formula 1 in Jeddah to signing global icons in football, golf and combat sports, Saudi is proving that when it comes to sporting ambition, it’s playing in the big leagues.
According to PwC, the GCC currently accounts for only 5–7% of global sports tourism spending, but the potential is enormous. The region’s next step is
- Building mixed-use sports destinations that combine retail, leisure, and culture;
- Creating digital fan experiences that keep audiences hooked long after the final whistle; and
- Developing a connected GCC-wide ecosystem that lets travellers hop between events as easily as they switch sports channels.
Imagine a fan flying into Doha for tennis, driving to Dubai for cricket, and heading to Riyadh for an e-sports championship, all under one coordinated regional calendar. Add in seamless travel, unified marketing, and digital ticketing, and you’ve got a sports tourism super-league in the making.
As it is, the region’s sporting CV is already pretty impressive. From Formula 1 races in Bahrain, Jeddah, Doha and Abu Dhabi to football fever with the Saudi Pro League and world-class stadiums in Qatar, the region’s sporting calendar is pretty packed. Golf enthusiasts can catch the DP World Tour, Saudi International, and Dubai Desert Classic, while esports fans are drawn to the region’s cutting-edge arenas. Fitness enthusiasts can join marathons, desert runs, and triathlons in Dubai and Oman, and traditional sports like equestrian and camel racing keep heritage alive.
PwC’s analysts have one warning though, and that’s to not let the stadiums fall silent. The next big challenge is keeping all that billion-dollar infrastructure buzzing after the main event. That means content-driven festivals, fan zones, training camps, and hybrid sporting events throughout the year, essentially transforming what was once a one-week wonder into an always-on experience economy.
