Nathaniel Shils discusses Iran war's impact on pro cycling

2 articles · Updated · Escape Collective · Apr 29

Shils, a visiting assistant professor at Amherst College, told Escape Collective the two-month-old US-Israel war on Iran could affect UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Middle Eastern races.
He said the war's full cost remains unclear, but reconstruction and sharply higher defence spending across Gulf states are likely to raise pressure on sports funding.
Much depends on whether the conflict ends in a stable regional security order or prolonged instability, with wider economic shock and deaths already shaping concerns beyond cycling.

As Gulf nations pivot to defense, is the era of lavish, state-funded sports teams officially over?

Will the Gulf's pivot to defense spending permanently derail its ambitious post-oil economic dreams?