Gulf’s decades-long strategy of sporting investment rocked by US-Israel war on Iran

Around 80,000 fans were hoping to see Lionel Messi take on Lamine Yamal in Doha, while thousands more were gearing up for the F1 grands prix in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, but the war in the Middle East had other plans.

The Gulf countries have invested vast sums of money in bringing global sporting events to their shores as they try to diversify their hydrocarbon-dependent economies and improve their images abroad.

But weeks of repeated drone and missile attacks from Iran, in retaliation against ongoing US-Israeli bombing, have put paid to that strategy, for now at least.

Since the start of war in February, dozens of events due to be held in the Gulf have been cancelled or postponed.

They include football’s “Finalissima”, which would have pitted European champions Spain against Copa America winners Argentina in Doha, two Formula One grands prix, the Qatari round of motorsport’s World Endurance Championship, Asian Champions League matches and the Qatar MotoGP grand prix.

“I was looking forward to seeing the match of a lifetime between Messi and Yamal, a clash between the old and new generations, but sadly this opportunity was not to be,” lamented Rabih, a 45-year-old Barcelona fan living in Doha.

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