(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia securing the Women’s Tennis Association’s season-ending tournament is the latest sign the kingdom is putting sports and entertainment at the heart of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to transform his economy.

Riyadh will host the next three editions of the WTA Finals as part of a partnership between the WTA and the Saudi Tennis Federation. 

Saudi Arabia will fork out a record $15.25 million to the eight singles players and eight doubles teams who qualify for the November event, with further prize money increases over the next two years.

The kingdom has agreed to support broader investment into the future development of women’s tennis, according to a statement from the WTA, the principle organizing body of women’s pro tennis.

Saudi Arabia is making big bets on global sports, including golf and football, as part of a drive to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbons by becoming a hub for entertainment, travel and industries of the future. 

It’s already lured top international sports stars with wads of cash and has more recently signaled its intention to become a major force in tennis.

Read more: Saudi Arabia Is Splurging on Sports. Is It Working?: QuickTake

The kingdom in February signed a five-year deal with the ATP Tour to sponsor the official men’s rankings, and is in talks with the organization about potentially investing $2 billion, Bloomberg News has reported. 

Last year, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund also bought the license to hold the Next Gen ATP Finals — which focuses on younger players — from 2023 to 2027. A number of top male and female pros played exhibitions in Riyadh in late 2023. 

Securing the WTA event shows Saudi Arabia is doubling down on its pursuit of tennis and is prepared to dig deep to back its ambitions, even as it faces funding constraints at home.

Read more: Saudi Crown Prince MBS’s $100 Billion Quest for FDI Falters

The news generated concern for some, who question the kingdom’s history of human rights abuses. Human Rights Watch Inc. said it asked the WTA for information on what due diligence was carried out before awarding the finals to the country. The federation hadn’t responded as of Friday, HRW said on its website.

In an opinion piece for the Washington Post in January, tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova said they opposed awarding the WTA’s “crown jewel tournament” to Riyadh, calling the potential move a “significant regression.” 

The country’s law forbidding homosexuality was one of the key points of concern.

WTA Ventures said it has been assured everyone will be welcome in Saudi Arabia, regardless of sexual orientation or religion, the Telegraph reported on Thursday. Same-sex couples who want to share hotel rooms “will be accommodated,” Marina Storti, chief executive of WTA Ventures, told the newspaper. 

“Everyone will be made to feel extremely welcome. Our country is moving forward,” said Arij Mutabagani, president of the Saudi Tennis Federation and the first elected female president of any Saudi sports federation.

At a grassroots level, the number of tennis clubs in the kingdom has more than doubled in the last five years and the sport is equally available to male and females, the WTA said in a statement.

Read more: ATP Tour Opens Up to Saudis, Partners to Jump-Start Tennis

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