Episode 3209: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, With James Montague
We recently spoke to James Montague who was at Wembley to see Newcastle win their first major trophy under Saudi ownership.
Today we welcome James back to talk in more depth about his new book Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World.
New book ?
Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, & the World is the story of how the Kingdom emerged from the shadows to dominate everything from football to snooker.
It is also a story of palace intrigue, dictatorship & disinformation.
Out now!https://t.co/i4mR9ngtKK
— James Montague (@JamesPiotr) March 27, 2025
We discuss the astonishing scale and scope of Saudi’s sports investment, the unlikely rise to power of its instigator, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the reasons why they are doing this, and the true direction of influence between the Gulf sports-investing states and the West.
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