Overview
The Middle East Sports Investment Forum continues to establish itself as the definitive platform for strategic dialogue in the global sports economy.
Following our successful London 2025 edition at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we are pleased to partner with the Syracuse University Falk College of Sport on a comprehensive document that capture the insights, innovations, and strategic imperatives driving the region's sports transformation.
About the Technical Supplement
Focused on Sport, Technology & Strategy the Falk College of Sport produced an academic analysis examining the foundations of the Middle East’s sports transformation.
Authored by Dr. Rodney J. Paul, Director of Sport Analytics and Professor of Sport Management, Dr. Rick Burton, Dabid B Falk Emeritus Professor of Sport Management, and Dr. Hamid R. Ekbia, University Professor and Director of the Autonomous Systems Policy Institute, this technical supplement provides evidence-based analysis of key trends shaping the region's sports economy.
Key Topics
The report covers a range of significant themes, including:
AI as Digital Infrastructure in Sports Development
Climate Considerations for Middle East Sports Planning
Regional GDP Growth and Sports Investment ROI Analysis
Emerging Investment Opportunities in Sports Tech
Strategic Imperatives for Vision 2030 Implementation
About the Authors
The team at Falk College of Sport bring extensive expertise to this analysis. Dr. Paul has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and served as faculty advisor to Syracuse University's Baseball Statistics and Sabermetrics Club. His work examining atmospheric conditions' effects on sports performance was featured in ESPN The Magazine and presented at the MIT/Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Dr. Burton is a regular columnist for Sports Business Journal and Sportico and previously served as Commissioner of Australia's National Basketball League and Chief Marketing Officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee. Dr. Ekbia specializes in the political economy of computing and artificial intelligence, bringing critical insights into how AI systems function as sociotechnical platforms in sport development.