Maximizing the Economic Legacy of Hosting the FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia: The Integrated Economic Legacy Framework (IELF)

Hosting mega sporting events presents nations with opportunities to stimulate economic growth, strengthen tourism competitiveness, enhance international reputation, and support long-term national development. Realising these benefits, however, requires strategic planning that extends beyond successful event delivery. This study develops and empirically validates an Integrated Economic Legacy Framework (IELF) to support Saudi Arabia in maximising the long-term economic legacy of hosting the FIFA World Cup 2034 in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed, integrating a comprehensive literature review, comparative analysis of previous FIFA World Cup host nations, semi-structured interviews with 12 government and industry stakeholders, and a survey of 392 businesses from sectors expected to be affected by the tournament. Qualitative data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, while quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The measurement model was evaluated through reliability analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and assessments of convergent and discriminant validity. The findings indicate strong business confidence in the long-term economic opportunities associated with hosting the FIFA World Cup 2034. The validated measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability, construct validity, and model fit. Integrating the qualitative and quantitative findings resulted in the development of the Integrated Economic Legacy Framework (IELF), comprising five strategic pillars that support sustainable legacy planning. The study advances mega-event research by providing an empirically validated strategic framework that integrates international evidence with context-specific stakeholder perspectives. The IELF offers policymakers, event organisers, and business leaders an evidence-based roadmap for maximising the long-term socioeconomic benefits of hosting the FIFA World Cup 2034 and future mega sporting events.

FIFA World Cup 2034; Saudi Vision 2030; economic legacy; mega sporting events; mixed-methods research; tourism development; governance; destination competitiveness

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