Pogba Rides Into Camel Racing: Ex-Star Invests in Saudi Team to “Elevate the Sport”

Paul Pogba, the French World Cup-winning midfielder now at AS Monaco, has made a surprising move off the football pitch by investing in and becoming an ambassador for Al Haboob, a professional camel-racing team in Saudi Arabia.

This partnership makes Al Haboob the world’s first professional camel-racing outfit, with Pogba joining as both a shareholder and the public face of the team.

Pogba said he was drawn to camel racing after watching races online and was impressed by the discipline, teamwork, and dedication involved, qualities he believes resonate across all sports.

Al Haboob aims to elevate camel racing from a regional pastime to an internationally recognised sport, combining traditional heritage with modern professional standards, including improved training, animal welfare, and plans to establish a Gulf-wide professional league.

With Pogba on board, the team hopes to attract new global audiences, boost media presence, and transform the sport’s image beyond the Middle East.

For Pogba, this investment represents a personal milestone and a way to expand his portfolio beyond football following his return to professional play after a lengthy suspension. He has even expressed ambition to own what might become the world’s most expensive camel, paralleling his past status as one of football’s most expensive players.

The move has generated wide attention, with many viewing it as a bold step to bridge Western sports celebrity and Middle Eastern cultural tradition, while others see it as part of a growing trend of athletes investing in non-traditional sports.

For camel racing, this partnership could raise the sport’s profile internationally, provide validation to practitioners, attract greater investment and sponsorship, and modernise its competitive standards, potentially transforming it into a globally recognised professional sport.

Sources: The Guardian