Qatar Sports Investments

Qatar Sports Investments (QSi)^[1] is a Qatari-government operated shareholding organization founded in 2005 and based in Doha, Qatar. Revenues generated from ventures of QSi are reinvested into Qatar's sport, leisure and entertainment sectors.^[2] QSi is led by Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Vice Chairman Adel Mohammed Tayyeb Mustafawi, and its board of directors has three additional members.^[3] According to Una Galani, QSi "is thought to be owned by the [Qatar] finance ministry and the Qatar Olympic Committee."^[4] QSi is subsidiary of Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the state-run sovereign-wealth fund in Qatar.^[5][6]

Board of directors

Nasser Al-Khelaifi has served as chairman of QSi since 2011, and is well known for his business ventures and various leadership roles in Qatar. He is currently chairman and chief executive officer of beIN Media Group in Qatar and president of Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (PSG) in France. As a former professional tennis player, he serves as president of the Qatar Tennis Federation (QTF) and vice president of the Asian Tennis Federation for West Asia (ATF).^[7]

Adel Mohammed Tayyeb Mustafawi serves as Vice Chairman of QSi and holds various other leadership positions within the Qatari banking industry.^[8] The additional three other board members include Yousif Mohammed Al-Obaidli, Mohammad Abdulaziz Al-Subaie,Tanvirul Ahsan,and Sophie Jordan, who are also member of beIN Media Group's board of directors.^[9] \

Portfolio

QSi has become increasingly involved in international sports and in the entertainment sector, especially as a key player in the French sports market with the completed acquisition of Paris Saint-Germain and its affiliates in 2011.^[10][11] QSi’s portfolio also includes Burrda, a Qatari sports brand and sports and leisure apparel supplier specialized in development and customization of actions established in 2007, and NextStep Marketing, a company specialized in client representations, direct merchandising, and event management among other things.^[12] On 10 October 2022, QSi bought 21.67% of the shares of S.C. Braga for €80 million.^[13] On 10 January 2023, QSi had enquired about the pre-purchase of West Ham United for April 2023.^[14] On June 22, 2023, it was reported the sovereign wealth fund had invested $4.05 billion in Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, and Washington Mystics, securing a 5% stake in the company.^[15]

Investment projects

PSG takeover

In June 2011, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, bought 70% of the club's shares through state-run shareholding organization Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), a subsidiary of Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country's sovereign wealth fund. QSI acquired a majority stake in June 2011 and then became the club's sole owner in March 2012.^[16]

Deal with SC Braga

Qatar Sports Investments, a state-backed fund, will pay about €19mn for a 22 per cent stake in SC Braga, who sit third in Portugal’s top division. In October 2022, the Qatari investment fund that owns Paris Saint-Germain has bought a stake in a top-tier Portuguese football team, marking its first foray into multi-club ownership.^[17]

Padel

In 2023, Qatar Sports Investments acquired the World Padel Tour to create a new global circuit for padel, starting in 2024.^[18]

References

1. Emmanuel Jarry; Eric Knecht (2019-05-23). "Qatari president of PSG under graft investigation in France". Reuters.
2. "What we believe". QSI. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
3. "Qatar Sports Investments". QSI. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
4. Galani, Una (2012-10-02). "BREAKINGVIEWS-Qatar's sovereign funds: A guide for the perplexed". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
5. Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Messi, PSG, Qatar, FFP, sportswashing and geopolicing: quo vadis, football? | DW | 12.08.2021". DW.COM. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
6. PSG’s Qatari owners tap Neymar to promote QNB
7. . Archived from the original on 2010-07-28. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
8. "Adel Mohammed Tayyeb Mustafawi: Executive Profile & Biography". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
9. "Qatar Sports Investments". QSI. Retrieved 2017-08-02.
10. Sayare, Scott (2012-10-26). "With Paris Saint-Germain, Qatar Is a Player in French Sports". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-12-15.
11. "QSI - 10 years already!". Paris Saint-Germain F.C. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
12. "Hosting sports events positions Qatar on world stage". Oxford Business Group. 2018-01-21. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
13. "ADono do PSG compra 21,67% da SAD do SC Braga". ominho.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-10.
14. Fish, Hal (2023-01-10). "West Ham: Hammers may fit the bill as Qatar Sports Investments look to invest". FootballFanCast. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
15. "Qatar sovereign wealth fund buys stake in Washington's NBA, NHL and WNBA teams, AP source says". Associated Press News. 22 June 2023.
16. à 07h00, Par Le 7 mars 2012 (2012-03-07). "Le Qatar sans limite". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 2023-06-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
17. Noble, Josh (2022-10-10). "Qatar expands football interests after buying stake in Portuguese team". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
18. Agini, Samuel (2023-08-24). "Qatar combines rival tours in fast-growing sport of padel". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-10-08.

External links

• Official website