Saudi Arabia - Qatar: a big soft power push via the organization of sporting events

Saudi Arabia hosted the heavyweight boxing match between Anthony Joshua (UK) and Andy Ruiz (MEX-USA) on 07/12/2019 in Dariya, where the Diriyah Tennis Cup, the men's tennis tournament was held from 12 to 14/12/2019. The Saudi kingdom is also preparing to host, for the second time in a row, thanks to the Lega Serie A, the Italian Super Cup on 22/12/2019, and then, via the RFEF, the Spanish Super Cup in January 2020 (see below), and finally the Dakar rally race from 05 to 17/01/2020.

"Saudi Arabia thus becomes a major and unexpected actor of international sport since the arrival to the forefront of Mohammed Ben Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia," stated Jean-Baptiste Guégan, a professor and author of several books on geopolitics, sport ,and the football economy, to News Tank Football on 13/12/2019.

At the same time, the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in two stadiums in Doha, the capital of Qatar, Saudi Arabia's closest neighbor and rival country, from 11 to 21/12/2019. This 2019 FIFA competition will be used -- much like the 2020 edition -- as a type of rehearsal before…