Dr. Mahfoud Amara
The global sport industry is complex, involving a diverse range of actors - corporations, international federations, media, fans and increasingly, states. Power is shifting from traditional Western centres to emerging players in the Global South, notably in the Arab Gulf. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are no longer passive participants; they are actively reshaping the global sport landscape by hosting mega-events and investing in international sport ventures.
This shift must also be reflected in the production of knowledge across the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary fields of sport studies and exercise sciences. While English continues to dominate global sport scholarship, producing and disseminating knowledge in Arabic remains essential for local relevance and impact. Developing parallel outputs - globally engaged yet locally grounded - is not only strategic, but necessary.
“Educating for Impact” means equipping students from the region to engage confidently with international standards while staying rooted in regional contexts. It involves fostering critical thinking, cultivating epistemic agency, and empowering communities to articulate and shape their own sport futures.
To achieve this, we must strengthen academic ecosystems in the region - institutions that contribute to global conversations while responding to local priorities. Publishing in both English and Arabic is not a contradiction but a complementary strategy to ensure broad and inclusive reach.
Real impact also requires moving beyond extractive models of sport development towards collaborative approaches that incorporate local values, voices, and experiences. Embracing pluralism in how we understand sport, performance, and development is essential.
Finally, bridging the gap between academia and the sport industry is critical. Scholars must collaborate with ministries, federations, and sport organisations and the sport industry at large to ensure research and curricula remain relevant. In turn, the industry should support independent research, offer internships, and invest in co-created projects. Building trust and fostering shared understanding are key to advancing sport knowledge and practice in the region.
Dr. Mahfoud Amara is an Associate Professor in Sport Social Sciences and Management at Qatar University.
Dr. Mahfoud Amara is an Associate Professor in Sport Social Sciences and Management at Qatar University.
