UK businesses are increasingly expanding into Saudi Arabia, drawn by opportunities in the Kingdom’s growing sports sector.
So far, more than 52 British companies have chosen Saudi Arabia as their regional headquarters, bringing the total number of UK firms operating in the Kingdom to roughly 1,300.
Initiatives like the UK/Saudi Sports Investment & Innovation Forum, hosted by the Saudi British Joint Business Council (SBJBC) in England last year, along with the Middle East Sports Investment Forum (MESIF) held recently in Tottenham, highlight the growing interest in Saudi-UK sports investment.
Saudi’s Mega Sports Projects Draw UK Businesses at MESIF
In Saudi Arabia, the sports economy is at an inflection point, with upcoming global events such as the 2027 Asian Winter Games and the FIFA World Cup 2034 catalyzing the next wave of the industry’s growth.
In terms of value, the sports industry is poised to be worth $22.5 billion by 2030, driven by Vision 2030’s objectives to position the Kingdom as a global sports powerhouse.
Hosting such global tournaments has necessitated substantial investments in technology and infrastructure, particularly in sports facility construction, creating promising investment pathways for international players.
The MESIF typically provides the ideal platform for showcasing growth opportunities in the sports industry and related areas, particularly infrastructure development, fan engagement, sports tourism, stadium design, and e-sports.
These evolving trends in the Saudi sports industry have sharpened the UK investor focus on the Kingdom as an attractive expansion target.
Building on our track record of expanding 1800 high-growth global businesses, including UK entities, to Saudi Arabia and the wider region, we were the official exclusive “MENA Establishment Partner” at MESIF and the official sponsor of the concluding reception.
Our participation at MESIF aimed at helping UK investors identify strategic entry points and innovate within this vibrant sector, charting the path forward for the continued evolution of the Kingdom’s sports economy.
UK Business Setup in Saudi Arabia Intensifies at a Rapid Clip
During MESIF, our Director of Expansion, Alex Nicholls, took the stage to highlight the increased UK business expansion and setup in Saudi Arabia, powered by the ever-growing Saudi-UK economic corridor.
UK companies are speeding up their growth plans in Saudi Arabia, including big names in the sports industry, such as Footballco, another member of our expansion network. The global football media firm has recently established its regional headquarters (RHQ) in Riyadh as it seeks to solidify its long-term commitments towards Saudi Arabia.
As the most popular sport, football commands the lion’s share of the local sports media landscape. With its expansion, Footballco aims to double down on its already massive reach of 14 million people (almost half of the population) in the Kingdom to offer more localized content to inform and entertain the Saudi football fan base.
Our UK-based companies include RSK in construction. The list also includes Fresha, Checkout.com, Thredd, and Algebra. For those that haven’t expanded yet, Saudi Arabia remains high on the list of their priority target markets. Our 2025 Market Entry Report showed that the UK is one of the three top geographies headquartering companies with the most interest in expanding to Saudi Arabia last year.
As the interest of these businesses looking to expand to Saudi Arabia intensifies, and the influx of UK-based businesses into the KSA market increases, our full-landing approach from setup to post-setup ensures that a business’s needs are met at all stages.
Using our comprehensive PRO and GRO services, foreign companies can remain fully focused on core operations in this fast-moving market while having compliance details well taken care of.
This way, foreign companies entering Saudi Arabia can leverage the local insights and connections necessary to fully integrate into the local economy and make their expansion more successful.