- Smashi Business
- Posts
- KSA's Big Week: Ronaldo Reaches $2.1B & Riyadh Air Receives Dreamliners
KSA's Big Week: Ronaldo Reaches $2.1B & Riyadh Air Receives Dreamliners
Monday, June 8, 2026
Happy Monday everyone!
Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first active athlete to surpass $2 billion in career earnings, underlining the commercial power of sports, branding, and the kingdom’s ability to attract global talent. Meanwhile, Riyadh Air has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners ahead of its July launch, marking another step in Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a major aviation hub.
Markets
EGX30 | 52,139.06 | 0.98% |
DFMGI | 5,686.41 | Closed |
ADX | 9,600.97 | Closed |
Tadawul | 10,922.52 | 0.62% |
Cristiano Ronaldo Becomes First Active Athlete To Reach $2 Billion In Career Earnings
What Is It About?
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first active athlete to generate $2 billion in career income, according to Forbes estimates. The milestone follows his lucrative move to Saudi club Al-Nassr, where a contract extension signed in 2025 reportedly earns him more than $200 million annually. Combined with decades of elite football success and global commercial appeal, Ronaldo has built one of the most valuable personal brands in sports history.
Why It Matters?
The achievement highlights how modern athletes can generate wealth far beyond their playing salaries. While roughly $1.4 billion of Ronaldo’s earnings came from football, nearly $700 million was generated through endorsements, business ventures, and investments. Partnerships with major brands, a massive social media audience approaching one billion followers, and stakes in companies such as Whoop and Perplexity AI have helped diversify and expand his income streams.
What’s Next?
Ronaldo’s earnings total places him ahead of Lionel Messi and Tiger Woods in career income rankings, while strengthening his position among sports’ wealthiest figures. As he continues playing in Saudi Arabia and growing the CR7 business empire, additional sponsorships, investments, and commercial ventures could further increase his fortune, potentially widening the gap between himself and the next generation of athlete entrepreneurs.
Binance just launched regulated AED crypto transfers in the UAE
What Is It About?
Binance has launched regulated UAE dirham transfers through a direct integration with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), enabling users to move funds seamlessly between their bank accounts and Binance. Transactions are conducted entirely in AED, removing the friction of foreign exchange conversions.
Why It Matters?
The launch makes moving between fiat and crypto simple, secure, and efficient. Users can deposit AED with zero fees, withdraw directly back to their bank accounts for a fixed fee of just 10 AED — among the lowest in the market — and benefit from same-business-day transaction processing. The service supports transfers ranging from 10 AED to 7.2 million AED per transaction.
Built under the UAE's Client Money Account framework, the solution creates a seamless, regulated, and trusted bridge between traditional finance and digital assets, reinforcing the UAE's position as a global hub for responsible crypto innovation.
What’s Next?
Binance expects the service to lower barriers for first-time crypto investors while improving efficiency for existing users. Industry observers will watch whether regulated AED transfers accelerate the adoption of digital assets across the UAE.
Riyadh Air Receives First Boeing Dreamliners As It Prepares For July Launch
What Is It About?
Saudi Arabia’s new carrier Riyadh Air has received its first two commercial Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, marking a major milestone ahead of its official launch on July 1. The airline plans to begin operations with flights to London Heathrow Airport and will eventually take delivery of 72 Dreamliners. Riyadh Air has also signed a strategic partnership with Air India to expand connectivity through codeshare and interline agreements.
Why It Matters?
The aircraft delivery and Air India partnership strengthen Riyadh Air’s ambitions to become a global aviation player and support Saudi Arabia’s broader tourism and economic diversification goals. The collaboration will extend beyond passenger travel to include loyalty programs, cargo operations, and digital services, helping both carriers improve connectivity between key international markets while enhancing the overall customer experience.
What’s Next?
Riyadh Air plans to add one Boeing 787-9 to its fleet every month and launch two new destinations every two months as it works toward serving 100 cities by 2030. However, the airline’s expansion comes amid a challenging environment marked by regional instability, aviation disruptions, and aircraft delivery delays. Industry concerns remain elevated as geopolitical tensions continue to affect air travel and airport operations across the region.
2026 State of AEO Report
A year ago, most marketers weren't thinking about AI search. Now it's one of the fastest moving channels in the industry and nobody has a playbook yet.
So we built one. We surveyed hundreds of marketers to find out how they're approaching answer engine optimization, where they're investing, what's actually working, and what isn't.
The result is the 2026 State of AEO Report. Real data. Real strategies. A clear picture of where AI search is headed and how to get ahead of it.
👨💻From Smashi Business’ Desk
Exclusive: Bezos’ $38 Billion “Project Prometheus” AI Play, Which Has a Quiet Gulf Angle
The Gulf box office is telling a bigger story than just the strong debut of Michael.
Saudi Arabia’s first Hollywood-scale blockbuster Desert Warrior has opened modestly at the US box office.
Despite a market cap of just $15.7 million — well below Nasdaq’s $35 million threshold — Swvl Holdings Corp is not on the brink of delisting.
UK universities under fire after reports of £440k spent spying on pro-Palestine student activity
🔍In other news…
Reuters Exclusive: US states preparing lawsuit to block Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros, sources say
Bahrain’s Gulf Air Sees Travel Demand Recovering in the Summer
US eyes Iranian assets for Gulf allies' reconstruction, source says
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad to surpass pre-Iran war capacity without price cuts
🦄 World of Startups
Dubai gifting marketplace Udora secures $10M
Saudi fashion platform Aya secures $7m to scale real time production
Jordan-based Tamatem has acquired Istanbul-founded Playable Factory, strengthening its push into performance marketing and user acquisition.
Egypt’s Lucky Raises USD 23M Series B. Its Consumer Credit Model is Expanding Into North Africa
“We Got Funded!” Maison Safqa Raises US$620,000 in Pre-Seed Funding to Expand Luxury Flash-Sale Platform Across GCC
Via Separations, US-based deeptech startup, raised $36M in funding from Aramco Ventures (Saudi), and other global investors.
