Manchester named as one of the top cities that Saudi football fans want to visit

Football fans in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have named the UK city of Manchester as one of the top three destinations they would love to visit to take in a game, according to a recent survey conducted by British Airways.

Manchester has two of the most popular teams in the Barclay’s Premier League, Manchester United and Manchester City, each drawing many loyal fans from right across the Middle East. Ahead of the new season, which starts on 8 August 2015, Premier League fans from Saudi Arabia said they would choose either Manchester United or Manchester City as their favourite grounds in the Premier League.

The Manchester clubs’ stadia came in joint third place in the survey, just behind Barcelona Real Madrid. It is believed the popularity of players such as Lionel Messi at Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid have elevated these two grounds to the top of the list, but Former England Captain & BBC Match of the Day Presenter Gary Lineker says the English game is quickly growing in popularity around the world.

The 54-year-old said: “You can see why the Premier League is so appealing to fans from Saudi Arabia and all over the world. Supporters come in their droves and it’s no surprise that clubs like Manchester United and Manchester City are incredibly popular in the Middle East. 

“It’s great to see so many fans actually travelling to the UK to witness a Premier League game live and believe me it’s worth the journey.

“If any visitors can get a ticket for a Manchester derby for example, they’ll experience an atmosphere like they’ve never experienced before. It’s electric. Also, witnessing a game where it means so much is so special; the speed, the pace, the physicality of the football, will be something that lives with them forever.

“We’re blessed with some beautiful stadiums right across England, from Arsenal’s ground in London to the north with Liverpool’s, which is always worth a visit. Newcastle’s stadium has just an incredible atmosphere, while Aston Villa’s is one of the old-fashioned grounds you can go and visit. Tottenham Hotspur is building a new stadium in London and Chelsea is looking at redeveloping their ground in the coming years, so it’s just going to get better and better.

“I say if you ever get the opportunity to travel over here to see a game…take it!”

The new season kicks off with Manchester United hosting Tottenham Hotspur, while Manchester City fans travel to West Bromwich Albion. British Airways is offering special fares for fans wanting to travel to England at the start of the season to experience the atmosphere in their favourite grounds and cheer on their favourite players. 

British Airways is offering flights from Jeddah to London for as little as SAR2675 and from Riyadh to London for as little as SAR2665. If you are looking to fly to Manchester, British Airways offers up to nine flights each day from London. Jeddah return to Manchester via London is available from SAR2920 and Riyadh return via London from SAR 2910. British Airways also offers up to six flights each day from London to Newcastle. Jeddah return to Newcastle via London is available from SAR2880 and Riyadh return via London from SAR 2870.

If you are looking to travel from Saudi Arabia to watch the big football teams in Europe, British Airways is offering return flights from Jeddah to Barcelona via London for as little as SAR3390 and from Riyadh to Barcelona via London for as little as SAR2480. British Airways also offers return flights from Jeddah to Madrid via London from SAR3390 and from Riyadh to Madrid via London from SAR2480.