NBA star LeBron James’s trip to Saudi Arabia this week underlines that nation’s energetic effort to establish itself as a global sports and culture hub. Saudi officials will hope that LeBron considers playing in their basketball league if and when he leaves the Lakers. But when it comes to Saudi efforts to attract international sports stars, LeBron is only the tip of the iceberg.

The last few years have seen landmark Saudi deals to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix race, invest in professional golf, and bring tennis championships to the desert kingdom. We’ve also seen a wave of soccer stars such as Karim Benzema, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo abandon the European soccer leagues for Saudi Arabia. They’ve been attracted by unprecedented contracts worth tens of millions of dollars per year.