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Danyel Reiche

@politicsofsports.bsky.social

83 followers 39 following 68 posts

Associate Professor in the Department of Government & Society at United Arab Emirates University. Formerly, American University of Beirut & Georgetown University. Chairing the Political Studies Association Sport & Politics group. .. more

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The United Arab Emirates has quite a close and friendly relationship with the US, being described as the United States' best counter-terrorism ally in the Gulf by Richard A. Clarke, the U.S. national security advisor and counter-terrorism expert. In terms of defense, the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces has been nicknamed "Little Sparta" by United States Armed Forces generals and former U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis for its active role against extremists in the Middle East. The United Arab Emirates also hosts the only United States border preclearance in the Middle East. Both countries are members of the I2U2 Group, which was established in 2021. .. more

Political science 45%

Sociology 21%

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Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Mar 3

New article: Paul Brannagan and I published in the International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics the paper ‘Saudi Arabia and the 2034 FIFA World Cup: context, strategy, critique.’
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Saudi Arabia and the 2034 FIFA World Cup: context, strategy, critique

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has become a prominent investor in global sports leagues, clubs, events, and athletes. Against this backdrop, this paper provides the first academic analysis of Saudi ...

www.tandfonline.com

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Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · 16h

That was fun! I really enjoyed participating in the United Arab Emirates University Faculty/Staff Table Tennis Championship and finishing in third place! Glad to work at a university that values and promotes sport so much!

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · 9d

We do not see any of that in the UAE’s national football, cricket, and other teams. It shows how inclusive the country has become.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · 9d

I have been studying issues around sport and nationality for a while, and my joint work with Cem Tinaz has shown that, in the past, some Middle Eastern countries even changed the names of naturalized athletes to make them sound more local.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · 9d

Next week, the UAE has, for the first time since 1990, the chance to qualify for the FIFA Men’s World Cup. What I like about the team is its multicultural composition, and the fact that the diverse backgrounds of the players are not hidden by the country’s media.

Emiratis, expatriates and the ‘Dream of a Nation’: UAE football’s new identity | The National

Changing face of the national team means international children can aspire to represent the Emirates

www.thenationalnews.com

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · 25d

The 2025 data update of the Stanford/Elsevier Top 2% Scientist Rankings is out! I’m honoured to be listed again — and especially proud to be at United Arab Emirates University, working alongside many colleagues who also appear in the rankings.
More on the methodology & results here: l1nq.com/lkO7C

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Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Sep 12

Save the date: Following our wonderful 2025 conference in London, the @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social Sport & Politics Group is delighted to announce that our 2026 annual meeting will take place on June 4–5, 2026, at the University of Liverpool Management School, and the Centre for Sports Business.

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Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Aug 25

From our beautiful United Arab Emirates University campus in Al Ain, wishing everyone a great fall term. Looking forward to my first academic year in Abu Dhabi!

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Aug 6

And finally, I’ll miss the fantastic colleagues — especially those who joined me for yoga and fitness classes that GUQ offered during lunch breaks.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Aug 6

I’ll miss the amazing GUQ students I taught in courses such as Comparative Political Systems, Energy Policy in the Middle East, and Sport, Politics and Society in the Middle East.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Aug 6

Grateful for five wonderful years at Georgetown University in Qatar, where the highlight was leading a research initiative on the impact of the FIFA World Cup 2022 on Qatari society and foreign relations.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Aug 6

UAEU has recently risen significantly in international university rankings — for example, in the latest 2026 QS World Ranking, it climbed to position 229 from 421 in 2014. I’m excited to meet colleagues and students and contribute to further growth.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Aug 6

Delighted to share my appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Government and Society at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi’s second-largest city — commonly referred to as ‘The Garden City’.

(This photo shows me during UAEU’s first-week photo shoot)

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Jul 31

Ray, a talented athlete and very intelligent and sympathetic women, was one of the few Lebanese athletes who had the potential to make her country proud by winning an Olympic medal. But can't blame her as conditions in Qatar are much more professional.
www.lbcgroup.tv/news/lebanon...

Lebanese trap shooter Ray Bassil to represent Qatar in upcoming international competitions: LBCI sources

www.lbcgroup.tv

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Jun 19

The panel discussion was part of the Georgetown University in Qatar project "America's Game in the Middle East."
Thank you to our panelists Nadim Nassif, Dr. Sebastian Sons, Onur Yıldırım, myself and moderator Misba Bhatti.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Jun 19

If you missed our event on "The Evolution of Basketball in the Middle East," on May 29, 2025, at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., the recording of the panel discussion is now online.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vsB...

Panel | The Evolution of Basketball in the Middle East | May 29, 2025

YouTube video by Center for International and Regional Studies

www.youtube.com

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Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Jun 18

Delighted to receive in the digital age a Thank You note from a wonderful former student by snail post, sent all the way from Pennsylvania, USA, to Doha, Qatar.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Jun 2

Wonderful convening in Washington D.C. at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University for our Georgetown University in Qatar working group on basketball and discussing the manuscript drafts for our upcoming special issue on America's Game in the Middle East.

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Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Jun 2

Many thanks to everyone being involved in the project: Zahra Babar, Onur Yildirim, Nadim Nassif, @lempika7.bsky.social, J Simon Rofe, Ashraf ELmidani, Nida Ahmad, Assile Toufaily, Jung Woo Lee, Claudia Kozman, Dr. Sebastian Sons, Craig LaMay, Suzi Mirgani, Misba Bhatti and Noor Hussain.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · Jun 2

Also enjoyed the public panel on The Evolution of Basketball in the Middle East with a focus on both history & how it was shaped by Protestant missionaries as well as contemporary issues such as NBA pre-season games in Abu Dhabi & Qatari investment into an American basketball franchise.

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Reposted by United Arab Emirates

Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff @lempika7.bsky.social · May 28

🏀 😉 Ahead of this week's Georgetown University in Qatar CIRS basketball workshop on "America's Game in the Middle East," re-upping this interesting conversation between FIBA President Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani and @politicsofsports.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1ps...

Vlog 5 | Sheikh Saud Al Thani | President of FIBA | March13, 2025

YouTube video by Center for International and Regional Studies

www.youtube.com

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Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · May 22

Panelists are Sebastian Sons, Nadim Nassif, Onur Yildirim. Moderator is my colleague Misba Bhatti. The discussion takes place on Thursday, May 29, 2025, 6.00-7.30PM at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.

More information and registration here: events.georgetown.edu/event/31610-...

Georgetown University Events Calendar

Discover events happening at Georgetown University

events.georgetown.edu

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · May 22

There is an increasing American-Middle Eastern engagement in basketball, from NBA pre-season games in Abu Dhabi, Gulf sponsorships of American teams, and Middle Eastern players at U.S. college teams. Attend our Georgetown University in Qatar event "The Evolution of Basketball in the Middle East."

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Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · May 20

Thank you to Gerd Nonneman and Suzi Mirgani for all their support!
More information on the book here: www.routledge.com/Qatars-World...

Qatar’s World Cup Goals: Domestic Development and Global Influence

This book examines the goals and impact of Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA men’s World Cup 2022 in the context of the existing literature on Qatar, small states in international politics, and the use of s...

www.routledge.com

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · May 20

Thank you so much to the contributors Kristian Ulrichsen, Hissa Al-Kubaisi, Seth Perkin & Paul Brannagan, Kamilla Swart-Arries, Dr. Sebastian Sons, Irene Theodoropoulou, Aisha Al Kuwari & Udai Chandra, and Susan Dun.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · May 20

This is the final outcome of a project I was leading at the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University in Qatar on the FIFA World Cup 2022 that was exploring the impact of the world's greatest sporting event on Qatar's domestic development and foreign relations.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · May 20

Delighted to announce the edited volume "Qatar's World Cup Goals. Domestic Development and Global Influence," published by Routledge (previously published as a special issue of the Journal of Arabian Studies).

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · May 18

Apart from the presentations it was wonderful engaging with other scholars working on the politics of sport and learning from their work.
Thank you so much to Richard Tacon, Sean Hamil, and Geoff Walters for organizing this terrific conference.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · May 18

I also enjoyed my paper presentation on “Football governance and the case of U.S. college soccer” and feedback from colleagues afterwards.

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · May 18

Our keynote was titled “Everything wrong with the popular term ‘sportswashing’: Evidence from the Arabian Gulf states.”

Danyel Reiche @politicsofsports.bsky.social · May 18

After @migueldelaney.bsky.social , Chief Football Writer at The Independent, gave a stimulating lecture on “Is global football being taken over by sportswashing? A critical perspective,” my colleagues Paul Brannagan & Jon Grix from Manchester Metropolitan University and I presented a different view.