Saudi Arabia will look to homegrown talent to expand its base of elite athletes rather than follow its neighbors down the path of naturalizing foreigners, the media chief of the Saudi Olympic Committee has said.
Funding from the country's Public Investment Fund, which manages more than $700 billion in assets, has rocketed the country to major-player status in world of sport over a few short years.
Developing talent is a longer-term project not easily accelerated by financial muscle, and Saudi Arabia will need more than the 33 athletes it sent to the Tokyo Olympics if it wants to host the Summer Games.