MANCHESTER: Premier League leaders Manchester City have more financial muscle than any other club in world football, according to a study that sees English clubs dominate the top 10.
The Soccerex Football Finance 100, which ranks the world’s top teams based on both their playing and fixed assets, money in the bank, owner potential investment and debt, was published on Wednesday Jan. 3.
City, who are having a successful season on the pitch, lead the way ahead of Arsenal. Tottenham are fifth on the list ahead of seventh-placed Manchester United, with Chelsea in ninth.
According to the study, Arsenal have £766 million ($1 billion) worth of fixed assets following their move from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium — more than any other club in world football, while only Manchester United have more money in the bank (£307 million) than Arsenal’s £300 million.
The annual report by event organizer Soccerex suggests that Arsenal have the monetary muscle to “invest significantly” in the transfer market.
Manchester City, for so long under-achievers in English football, have seen their fortunes transformed since a 2008 takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group.
They have won two Premier League titles in the past decade and Pep Guardiola’s team look certain to win it again this year as they are already 15 points clear of nearest challengers Manchester United.
“Manchester City, one of the most famous cases of significant foreign investment changing a club’s status and potential, top the rankings,” the study says. “Arsenal’s second place in the rankings, ahead of PSG (Paris Saint-Germain), will surprise many and is certainly a talking point in light of criticism the club receives from some quarters for its perceived lack of spending in the transfer market,” it adds.
“Their ranking is a reflection of the club’s professionalism and a sound business model. The position of financial strength means Arsenal could invest significantly should the hierarchy of the club choose to change their business strategy.”
Liverpool are 16th on the list, while 2016 Premier League champions Leicester are 20th. French giants PSG, who broke the transfer record to sign Neymar last summer, are third ahead of Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande. Real Madrid are sixth with their La Liga rivals Barcelona only 13th.
Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City top football finance power list
Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City top football finance power list
Saudi tourism employment surpasses 1m as hospitality sector expands
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s tourism workforce surpassed 1 million in the third quarter of 2025, underscoring the sector’s rapid expansion as the Kingdom continues to develop its hospitality infrastructure and visitor economy.
According to the latest Tourism Establishments Statistics report released by the General Authority for Statistics, the total number of employees in tourism activities reached approximately 1,009,691 in the third quarter of 2025, marking a 6.4 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, when employment stood at 948,629.
The growth in employment comes alongside a significant rise in the number of licensed tourism hospitality facilities, which increased by 40.6 percent year on year to reach 5,622 in the third quarter. Of these, serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities accounted for 52.6 percent, while hotels represented 47.4 percent.
The robust growth reflected in the latest tourism statistics aligns directly with the goals of Vision 2030, as the Kingdom aims to double tourism’s gross domestic product contribution to 10 percent. The sector is also seeking to create 1.6 million jobs, and attract 150 million visitors annually by 2030.
The report showed that non-Saudi employees made up the majority of the tourism workforce, numbering 764,520 and accounting for 75.7 percent of the total. Saudi nationals employed in the sector reached 245,171, representing 24.3 percent of all tourism workers.
In terms of gender distribution, male employees dominated the sector with 875,658 workers, while female employees totaled 134,033, making up just 13.3 percent of the workforce.
Hotel performance showed positive momentum, with the average room occupancy rate rising to 49.1 percent during the quarter, an increase of 2.9 percentage points from 46.1 percent in the same period a year earlier.
In contrast, serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities experienced a slight dip in occupancy, recording 57.4 percent compared to 58 percent in the same quarter of 2024.
The average daily room rate in hotels decreased by 3.6 percent to SR341 ($90.9), down from SR354 in the third quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, serviced apartments and similar facilities saw their average daily rate rise by 4.1 percent to SR208, up from SR200 a year earlier.
The average length of stay in hotels was 4.1 nights, down 1 percent from 4.2 nights in the third quarter of 2024. For serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities, the average stay was 2.1 nights, reflecting a marginal decrease of 0.2 percent year-on-year.
The statistics draw on administrative records, surveys and secondary data to capture activity across the Kingdom’s tourism sector, GASTAT said.
