By now, it has been made official: Baseball United has signed a massive agreement with the Saudi Baseball and Softball Federation (SBSF) to eventually field teams in The Kingdom. When it comes to ball, there really hasn’t been an organization quite like Baseball United. “BU,” as it is sometimes known by its social media followers, has grand plans to be the professional baseball league of the Middle East and Asian Subcontinent.
Baseball United majority Owner Kash Shaikh has been a man possessed, crisscrossing the globe to share the grand vision for Baseball United, and this Saudi deal will put a whole new spin on things. From the press release released on March 6th:
“This is a monumental day for the sport of baseball,” said Kash Shaikh, Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Baseball United. “Saudi Arabia is setting the pace for sports development, investment, and growth in the Kingdom and beyond, and we are truly honored to now include baseball within those ambitious plans. This agreement significantly elevates Baseball United’s standing and footprint within the region, and, just as importantly, enables us to work at the grassroots level to help grow the game in the Middle East’s largest country.”
Here’s why this matters.
Last fall, Baseball United held its first All-Star Showcase. When the squads took the field for the first time, a multitude of factors were at play: Major League talent had an opportunity to show off their skills in a region that wanted to see baseball up close, while prospects from oft-overlooked nations had a chance to display future prospects. However, the idea of Saudi Arabia leveraging the rise of “sports tourism” may be a boon for all parties involved.
We see MLB having series in Korea, the NFL having games in Mexico, and combat sports throwing shows in Australia. And while Saudi Arabia needs no help becoming a global destination for travelers, it already boasts LIV golf, the Saudi Pro League – one of the fastest-growing soccer leagues in the world, and is rapidly becoming the new global home for boxing megafights, having a professional top-tier league close by could foster a whole new wave of prospective and returning fans to the sport.
Words by Flobo Boyce; photo provided by Baseball United
