Blackstone, Saudi wealth fund collect £4m dividends from four Morrisons stores Retail 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 [...]
London hotel occupancy slides as Iran war wreaks travel havoc Hospitality International travel chaos caused by the Iran war is beginning to hit London’s hotels, fresh data has found. The occupancy of London’s hotels fell year on year in March, according to audit firm RSM.Hotel experts attribute the decline to a fall in tourism. Luxury London hotels enjoy a huge amount of custom from Middle Eastern [...]
LIV Golf hires restructuring experts as Saudi Arabia PIF ends funding Sport Business LIV Golf have hired restructuring specialists to a newly established board of directors as the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund plans to halt its investment in the rebel league. Eugene Davis and Jon Zinman, described by the breakaway leagues as “seasoned experts in complex transactions, turnarounds, and restructurings” will come into LIV Golf as it [...]
LIV Golf to seek investment as Saudi Arabia PIF to cut funding April 30, 2026 LIV Golf is set to announce it is seeking new investment amid reports that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is to cut off its funding. PIF has ploughed more than $5bn into LIV Golf since launching it as a challenger to the PGA Tour in 2022 and poaching top players including Bryson DeChambeau and Jon [...]
Newcastle United’s Saudi owners in town for stadium discussions April 29, 2026 Newcastle United’s Saudi Arabian owners are on Tyneside this week to discuss the future of St James’ Park and plans for a £100m boost. Whether the Premier League club redevelop their famous ground or build a new one in the adjacent Leazes Park remains a contentious point for the club’s ownership and fanbase. But a [...]
Barry Hearn says ‘Saudi is a problem’ amid snooker shift April 21, 2026 Snooker supremo Barry Hearn has admitted that “Saudi is a problem” amid reports of plans to move a lucrative event to fellow Gulf region Qatar. Saudi Arabia could be about to scale back its sporting empire due to conflict issues in the region, with LIV Golf’s long-term funding uncertain and other events potentially under review. [...]
What next for LIV Golf and Newcastle United after Saudi PIF strategy shift? April 18, 2026 With Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund updating its strategy, what next for the PIF-owned Newcastle United and LIV Golf? Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund last week published the latest iteration of its Vision strategy, which will cover the remainder of the decade. The strategy’s publication had been expected for some time. When the last planning [...]
Aramco ties with Formula 1 could see Saudi Arabia Grand Prix rescheduled April 16, 2026 Aramco ties with Formula 1 could see the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, cancelled after the Iran conflict, rescheduled for later in the year. Grands prix in both Bahrain and Saudi, which were scheduled for this month, were postponed following the outbreak of the conflict in the Gulf between the United States, Israel and Iran. Formula [...]
Rocco Forte: Middle East tourism ‘could increase’ after ceasefire March 24, 2026 Tourism volumes to the Middle East could increase after a ceasefire in the region if the US and Israel topple the Iranian regime, Sir Rocco Forte has said as he doubled down on investment plans in the region despite an exodus of visitors. The billionaire hotel magnate, whose eponymous Rocco Forte Hotels is part-owned by [...]
Exclusive: Formula 1 teams scramble to move freight stuck in Middle East March 20, 2026 Formula 1 teams are scrambling to access key racing components stuck in the Middle East due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Iran conflict, City AM can reveal. The regional tensions have already caused both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix to be postponed, and potentially cancelled, leaving a [...]