A Qatari sheikh worth an estimated A$60B ($45.4B) wants to invest in the National Rugby League, according to Dean Ritchie of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. It would be a "historic game-changer for rugby league." Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani has reportedly "discussed either sponsoring an NRL club -- or simply buying one." Khalid Mohammad, who calls himself a "spokesman to his Highness," said, "Definitely, money, funding, isn’t an issue for us. Rugby league is a very famous game in Australia, U.K., New Zealand and all over the world." Sheikh Faisal "has befriended an NRL-loving Australian businessman, Michael Ibrahim," who has worked in the Middle East for the past 18 years. The sheikh has "already injected money into the Pacific rugby league nations" and is proposing a tournament in Doha -- involving Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Qatar -- late next year. Extremely "well connected to the Qatar royal family, Ibrahim has direct contact" with Sheikh Faisal and is "encouraging the financial giant to buy into rugby league." That is "exactly" what the sheikh plans to do. Mohammad: "I feel personally that this game represents our nation. Rugby league is a game of strength, power and strategy. In Qatar, we are highly interested in rugby league and brother Michael Ibrahim is a very close friend of ours. We can sponsor the clubs in Australia. He told us there are some struggling clubs in Australia and we are willing to buy them." Sheikh Faisal’s family wealth is A$60B, while his personal wealth is around A$3B ($2.3B) (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 11/29).
