Saudi Arabia expected to axe 2034 World Cup stadium projects Sport Business Saudi Arabia’s plans for hosting the 2034 World Cup look set to be significantly scaled back after doubts emerged over five new stadium builds. The country’s Public Investment Fund will inform Fifa of its intention to scrap construction of the quintet of new venues, including ambitious projects in Qiddya and Neom, Semafor reported. The other [...]
Bank of England under pressure to raise interest rates or risk ‘losing credibility’ Economics The Bank of England is facing mounting pressure to raise interest rates on Thursday amid a global bond market rout fuelled by concerns over runaway government borrowing and sticky inflation. Investors told Threadneedle Street it was “essential” to rein in prices before the energy shock triggered by the Iran war spreads through the economy and [...]
Sullivan & Cromwell joins the stampede to Abu Dhabi Law US law firm Sullivan & Cromwell is set to expand its global footprint into the Middle East by opening an office in Abu Dhabi after several other law firms boosted their presence in the region over the last year. The Wall Street titan plans to advise clients across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, [...]
Inside Paul Pogba’s Saudi camel racing club Al Haboob August 13, 2026 Last year Paul Pogba invested into the Al Haboob camel racing club in Saudi Arabia. Matt Hardy goes behind the scenes with its founders. Over 1,000 years ago the warring tribes of the Arabian Peninsula, eager to stake their claim to the region’s limited land with access to its surrounding seas and gulfs, used to [...]
Europe to host Formula 1 finale if Iran war scuppers Qatar and Abu Dhabi plans July 29, 2026 Europe will host the Formula 1 finale if the ongoing war in Iran scuppers planned Grands Prix in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Formula 1’s 24-race season had already taken a double hit, with races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain postponed indefinitely earlier this year. The Bahrain Grand Prix will now take place in Malaysia. But [...]
Exclusive: Wimbledon chiefs ready to defend brand amid Saudi tennis complex similarities July 28, 2026 Wimbledon chiefs stand ready to defend its distinctive green and purple branding after plans emerged for a Saudi tennis mega-complex with a similar colourway. Renders for a National Tennis Centre in Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya giga-project were released in June, showing a central court draped in foliage and 29 other courts decked out in a purple [...]
Rugby needs its Premier League to step up and take control, Raine says June 9, 2026 Merchant bank Raine Group has warned that professional rugby is not big enough for “five or six leagues” and that it is “time for someone to put the hammer down” and become the sport’s equivalent to the Premier League. Rugby union has been going through a crisis of late, with different leagues using different structures [...]
Saudi Arabia’s PIF sign Queen’s deal despite wider sporting retreat June 8, 2026 Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has announced a new partnership with the HSBC Championships despite a wider retreat from sport. The agreement, described by the Lawn Tennis Association as a multi-year deal, will see the sovereign wealth giant, a partner of both the ATP and WTA Tours, link up with the London tournament. It follows [...]
What the LIV Golf Chapter 11 bankruptcy means? May 25, 2026 The potential bankruptcy of LIV Golf could see players leverage their power to take over the isolated business, according to experts. The rebel golf league, featuring the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, has reportedly begun bankruptcy plans after its Saudi Arabian backers – the Public Investment Fund – confirmed that they’ll cease funding [...]
Blackstone, Saudi wealth fund collect £4m dividends from four Morrisons stores May 4, 2026 Private equity firm Blackstone and the Saudi sovereign wealth fund have handed themselves £4m in dividends from their ownership of four Morrisons supermarket buildings. The pair acquired the sites – in Maldon, Stockport, Harrogate and Newcastle – for £110m in 2023 as part of a sale and leaseback arrangement which saw the supermarket chain sell [...]