Applying the 4D Model of the Country Image to Explore the Relationship Between Saudi Arabia's Sport Diplomacy and its Perceived Image Among American Adults.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between Saudi Arabia’s sports diplomacy and strategy of hosting major international sports events and its image among American adults. Notably, the Saudi government’s strategic use of hosting sports events aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, fostering economic diversification and promoting tourism. The conducted study examined American adults’ exposure to international sports events held in Saudi Arabian, this exposure’s correlation with the image of the country, and potential differences in the perception of Saudi Arabian between American adults who have been exposed to sports events in Saudi Arabia and those who have not. A quantitative online survey method was employed to collect data from 387 participants from the U.S using a nonprobability sampling method. The participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). The study aimed to address the gap in existing research by exploring the specific connection between international sports events hosted and held in Saudi Arabia and its image among American adults. The findings revealed a statistically significant mean difference in perceptions of Saudi Arabia between American adults exposed to international sports events held in the country and those unexposed to such events. Furthermore, the relationship between American adults' exposure to sports events in Saudi Arabia and their perceptions of the country is moderately positive.