
The Qatar Investment Authority is Qatar’s state-owned
investment fund and has been rapidly increasing their stake in the sporting
world over the past few years. The QIA
and its subsidiary, Qatar Sports Investments, have been behind key acquisitions in the sporting world,
including the Paris Saint-Germain football club, various football television
rights, and the rights to sponsor Barcelona FC. The QIA and QSI have also developed a
strategy of influence throughout sports by acquiring professional sports clubs,
organizing recurring sports events, and organizing solitary sporting events
such as the 2006 Asian Games and the 2022 World Cup. In 2011, QSI bought a
70 percent stake in PSG and has gone on to invest heavily in making the
French club one of world football's leading powers. Since the takeovers, the club has gone on a
spending spree, buying up the best players available as their owners seek to
buy success. More recently, Qatar Sports
Investments has been holding talks to buy a stake in David Beckham’s proposed
new Major League Soccer franchise.
There is no question that Qatar is investing heavily in the
sporting sector, but why? Some believe the QIA and QSI are using these
investments as a
domestic policy tool to develop a healthy society and to attract expats from
abroad. Others believe the investment
fund is using sport as a foreign policy tool to build relations with various
people and countries to gain power and national security. For more information read this interesting article: https://www.aub.edu.lb/fas/pspa/politics-sports/Documents/Reiche-2014-Qatar-Sport%20Policy.pdf. Is it a domestic or foreign policy tool, or
simply good business? Why do you think banks and investment firms, especially
the Qatar Invest Authority, invest so heavily in sports? Leave comments below.
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