World soccer governing body FIFA has signed a partnership with oil and gas conglomerate Saudi Aramco that will run through to the end of 2027, it said in a statement on Thursday.
FIFA Headquarter in Zurich, Switzerland © Mena Today
World soccer governing body FIFA has signed a partnership with oil and gas conglomerate Saudi Aramco that will run through to the end of 2027, it said in a statement on Thursday.
The four-year deal will see Aramco become a worldwide partner of FIFA, including in major tournaments such as the World Cup 2026 and the Women's World Cup 2027.
"This partnership will assist FIFA to successfully deliver its flagship tournaments... enable us to provide enhanced support to our 211 FIFA member associations across the globe," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in the statement.
Saudi Arabia has been pouring billions into sports worldwide such as golf, football, motorsports and martial arts. Sport is one of the pillars of the government's Vision 2030 economic diversification plan that seeks to build new industries and create jobs. Some critics have called it an effort to distract from its human rights record.
In a post published Monday on Truth Social, President Donald Trump issued what amounts to a sweeping diplomatic ultimatum to the Arab and Muslim world: normalise with Israel through the Abraham Accords, or forfeit any role in the Iran agreement he is working to finalise.
More than 1.5 million Muslim pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, a figure that already exceeds last year's foreign arrivals, with the pilgrimage itself not beginning until Monday.
Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air defence system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence pact, ramping up military cooperation with Riyadh even as Islamabad serves as the main mediator in the Iran war.
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