Sportification of heritage: mapping the governance, business and cultural politics of equestrian sport in Qatar

This paper provides an exploratory analysis of the governance, business dynamics and cultural politics of equestrian sport in Qatar. Drawing on institutional grey literature and media content analysis, the study charts the institutional architecture, investment flows and stakeholder networks that shape Qatar’s equestrian sector across domestic and international dimensions. The analysis identifies a highly concentrated governance model in which royal family members, state-backed entities and corporate sponsors operate within a framework whose strategic direction is set at the highest levels of the state, extending from Arabian horse breeding and domestic racing to international sponsorship. Central to the paper’s argument is the concept of ‘sportification of heritage’ – the process through which historically embedded equestrian culture is repackaged through internationally regulated competition formats, globally networked breeding programs and high-value sponsorship frameworks, generating symbolic capital mobilised for cultural legitimation and international prestige.