An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty on all but one of the 115 Premier League rule-breaking charges brought in 2023, though sanctions and an appeal are still to come and the club denies the allegations. Experts say the case, along with Gulf states' recent retreat from global sports investments, could strain UAE-UK relations and signal the end of the era of dramatic Gulf investment in European football.

“Political leaders in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are starting to look more closely at their balance sheets, they are also noticing that many of these splashy investments are not nearly as lucrative as they had thought or as their proponents had promised,” says Natalie Koch, professor of geography and the environment.

She adds that this has come at a time of economic slowdown, heightened by the ongoing U.S.-Iran war which has hit the region hard.

“Gulf state leaders are under tremendous pressure financially and politically at home…the war is threatening domestic approval in these states. People at home in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are increasingly feeling that their own interests need to be prioritised more in this difficult time,” she says. 

Read more in The New Arab article, “How Manchester City's financial reckoning could reshape the UAE's sporting ambitions.”