Sports Academies and Economic Development

This study seeks to examine the role of sports academies in revenue generation, employment, and the facilitation of foreign direct investment (FDI). An online survey questionnaire was designed and distributed among the residents in Oman. We selected a sample of seventy-four participants representing various sports academies in Oman. The collected data was analyzed applying statistical techniques, including Chi-square goodness-of-fit, ordinal logistic regression, and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The analysis revealed that sports academies contribute to the Omani economy through monetary transactions in the form of sponsorships, subscription fees, and renting the facilities. Likewise, sports academies contribute reasonably toward employment. They hire staff to support sports activities such as management and administration. Furthermore, on the occasion of sports events, they also hire temporary staff. However, the sports academies in Oman face challenges with funding from the government, which is the only available avenue. Among the many reasons, awareness and infrastructure are the main reasons sports academies are not able to attract private investments from both local and multinational companies. Moreover, it was observed that the geographic locations of sports academies do not play a significant role in reaping the economic and financial advantages associated with them. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind conducted in Oman that investigates the potential of sports academies toward employment and economic growth.