From F1 to CR7: Oil-rich Saudi Arabia's sports shopping spree

RIYADH: Al Nassr's surprise capture of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the latest in a string of high-profile sports acquisitions by oil-rich Saudi Arabia.

The conservative Gulf monarchy, often criticised over its human rights record, is attempting to burnish its image and attract foreign interest as it diversifies its economy away from oil.

Here are some of the moves that have turned Saudi Arabia into a major player in sports:

Saudi Arabia, a mostly desert country where summer temperatures touch 50 degrees Celsius, raised eyebrows in October when it was chosen to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games.

The event, which has already earned the wrath of environmental campaigners, will be held in NEOM, an under-construction US$500 billion megacity that is planning a year-round winter sports complex.

Five years later, the capital Riyadh will put on the 2034 Asian Games. Hosting an Olympics is the kingdom's "ultimate goal", Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal told AFP in August.

The glitzy world of F1 zoomed in to Jeddah, the Red Sea city that is a gateway for pilgrims headed to Mecca, in 2021 with a night race flanking the coastline. It is one of four grands prix to be held in the wealthy Gulf this year.

Last year's edition was overshadowed by an attack by Houthi rebels from Yemen, Saudi Arabia's war-torn neighbour, that left oil facilities belching black smoke within sight of the circuit during practice sessions.

In October 2021, well before the swoop for Ronaldo, a Saudi-funded consortium completed its takeover of English Premier League club Newcastle United following a protracted wrangle with regulators.

Fans of the "sleeping giant", who had been at odds with the previous owner for years, celebrated by donning