Makten bakom matchen En studie av motiveringarna bakom Saudiarabiens sportsatsningar

Abstract

On December 11, 2024, Saudi Arabia was formally awarded the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Since 2016, the country has made major investments in sports in various ways. This thesis aims to investigate the motivation behind the state of Saudi Arabia's increased sports investments. The issue will be examined through a qualitative text analysis of Saudi and international reporting. Based on theory and previous research into why states engage in sports, a hypothesis and an analytical tool are formulated. The study concludes that the reports give very different pictures of the motivations, but they both describe Saudi Arabia's motivations in terms of improving and changing its international reputation. The results and the study are then discussed. Finally, reflections on future research are given.