The UAE, Qatar and the re-shaping of global football’s boundaries

In 1977 the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recruited the former Leeds United and England manager, Don Revie, to manage the national football team. Revie’s recruitment was a boundary breaker, heralding the Gulf States’ entry into the game and sport’s broader political economy. This movement has reshaped - and continues to reshape - the global football political economy. Confronted with the need to diversify oil monies housed in sovereign wealth funds (SWF), the Gulf States, most notably the UAE and Qatar, have invested broadly in football. Gulf airlines, such as Etihad and particularly Emirates, have become major sponsors of sporting events and football brands. Currently, Emirates is involved in over 50 sporting sponsorships globally, including many major football clubs like Real Madrid, Paris-St Germain, Arsenal, and AC Milan. These investments assist in branding the UAE, and particularly Dubai, as a global destination and transport hub connecting Asia, Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Similarly, Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airline is a partner with Manchester City, while the Qatar Foundation features on the Barcelona FC jersey. Most significantly of all, Qatar has secured the right to host the 2022 World Cup, despite criticism from more established footballing nations over its suitability. This chapter argues that these states’ diversification of oil money into major football markets has reshaped football boundaries globally, though not without controversy. It has fuelled allegations of corruption in the bidding process for the 2022 World Cup. Moreover, it has inflated player salaries, helped create super-elite European clubs, and eroded the significance of traditional nation-based competitions and cups. The continuation of this trend will eventually remould elite club football into a competition between mega club brands, either sponsored or owned by resource rich states like the UAE and Qatar.