football and the future of west asia

The hosting of qatar for the 2022 fifa world cup and the announcement of saudi arabia’s preparation for the 2034 made the world wondered for the new middle east in the coming years. on the one hand, political experiences such as war and extremism groups, and on the other hand, the main source of oil and gas supply in the middle east is a proof of the need for countries in the region to use football as a lever in changing the international image. the purpose of the current research is to investigate the position of football and the development process of football in the middle east region, focusing on the three countries of qatar, saudi arabia and uae, and finally, the reason for iran’s conflicts with some of these countries in region. while the sport has a critical role on empowering the international prestige of gulf states, football is the critical part to fill the power vacuum in region. football has two minor (media, airlines and tourism) and micro (geopolitics, geo economy, competition and political economy) impression on region.