Middle East Sports Events: A World Capital of Sport

Two decades ago, a sports fan flying to the Gulf would have found a handful of golf tournaments and one tennis week in Dubai. Today the Middle East hosts four Formula 1 Grands Prix, the two most valuable horse races on earth, a top-flight football league that draws stars from Europe and South America, championship boxing, numbered UFC events and a tennis calendar that runs from Doha to Riyadh. Qatar staged the first FIFA World Cup in the Arab world in 2022, and FIFA confirmed in December 2024 that Saudi Arabia will host the 48-team tournament in 2034.

Behind the boom are national plans that treat sport as a pillar of tourism, health and the economy, from Saudi Vision 2030 to Dubai's D33 agenda. Cities have built stadiums, arenas and circuits that rank among the best in the world, and many sit minutes from five-star hotels, beaches and new neighborhoods. For investors, the same districts that hold the arenas, such as Qiddiya outside Riyadh and Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, are among the region's fastest-growing places to live and build.

Getting there is simple. Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad and Saudia fly nonstop from major American cities to Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, with flight times of roughly 12 to 15 hours from the East Coast; see nonstop flights from the US. US passport holders can generally enter the UAE without a visa in advance and can apply online for a Saudi tourist eVisa; our visas and entry guide explains the current rules.

Book hotels early for the biggest weekends, when rooms near Meydan, Yas Marina and Riyadh's arenas sell out months ahead. Tickets for many events in Saudi Arabia are sold through the official Riyadh Season platform, Webook. For a fuller trip, pair a race day with the finest hotels and a few days at the beach.