Abstract
While research shows that investment in sports has started shifting from
the North to South and West to East, it has been observed that the
latter has been more active than the former as far as sports-related
activity is concerned. This is especially the case with popular sports
such as football where Middle East investments have been active from
outright team purchases (e.g., Manchester City and Paris Saint Germain),
stadium naming rights (Etihad Stadium and Emirates Stadium),
sponsorships (FC Barcelona/Qatar Airways), and the prized hosting of the
2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In all these, however, the regions have
had very limited, if any, impact in terms accredited officialdom. This
study highlights this a potential area for research with implications
for Sports Management in particular, and Business & Management more
broadly.