Saudi Arabian events company Sela, on the back of its involvement in a new boxing property being disclosed, is launching a new international arm to its business, based in London, UK.
Stewart Hosford, co-founder and chief executive of Origin Sports Group, becomes CEO of this new international arm, while a new international operations board has also been created.
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Origin, a UK-based sports consultancy founded by Sir Keith Mills (heavily involved in organizing the London 2012 Olympics), is also supporting the global expansion of Sela.
The news about Sela helping launch a new boxing promotion – alongside TKO Group, the sports division controlled by entertainment giant Endeavor, and key boxing figure Turki Alalshikh – was announced earlier this month.
The as-yet-unnamed promotion, which will debut its first fight in 2026, will feature an in-house roster of fighters with a focus on developing the sport's upcoming talents.
Sela, owned by the Saudi government through the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) sovereign wealth vehicle, has already helped to stage a number of high-profile boxing events including the September 2024 meeting between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, which drew a record crowd to London's Wembley stadium.
It is also the main commercial partner of English soccer club Newcastle United, majority-owned by the PIF, in a deal valued by GlobalData Sport as being worth over $31 million annually.
Elsewhere in sport, it has worked with properties such as electric motor racing’s Formula E, and with soccer’s Italian Super Cup (which, for the last three editions, has taken place in Riyadh)
Hosford has now said: “With our team at Sela, we are positioned to bring proven expertise and innovative approach to the global market. We are already engaging with existing clients and exploring a pipeline of potential new clients. Sela aims to be the world’s leading operator of live sports and entertainment experiences, and we look forward to expanding our footprint across key markets worldwide.”
Ibrahim Mohtaseb, Sela’s head of international business, added: “Building on our strong track record of international successes, we have an exciting pipeline of events and an ambitious growth strategy for the coming years. Our goal is to share our passion for creating spectacular live experiences with clients worldwide.”
The expansion will entail Sela “bringing its experience in creating and managing world-class live events, venues, and entertainment projects to the global stage,” the Saudi firm has stated.
Last month, Sela and global sportswear brand Adidas unveiled a strategic partnership.
The partnership, while global, strongly focuses on Saudi Arabia in terms of brand activations and events hosting.
