Tough process that $1 billion Eliud Kipchoge Saudi citizenship must follow

• Eliud Kipchoge Saudi citizenship is on the hot seat
• These reports come shortly after his retirement from professional marathon
• Kipchoge announced in November that the 2025 New York Marathon was his last professional race

Eliud Kipchoge Saudi citizenship is on the hot seat following reports of a tempting $1 billion offer to denounce his Kenyan citizenship.

These reports come shortly after his retirement from professional marathon. Kipchoge announced in November that the 2025 New York Marathon was his last professional race after 20 years of making a name for himself.

Kipchoge came in 17th position in the 2025 New York City Marathon. Afterward, he claimed that finishing all six World Marathon Majors was not the end of his quest.

He said this was the beginning of a new chapter in which he intends to inspire others by running across all seven continents for charity.

Eliud Kipchoge Saudi Citizenship Status

Marathon Handbook first reported about Eliud Kipchoge Saudi citizenship. It reported that Khalid bin Al-Fahad, a Saudi oil mogul offered the Kenyan marathoner a deal exclusive to footballers and F1 drivers.

Al-Fahad reportedly promised Kipchoge $1 billion upfront payment, a bonus of up to $500 million over 10 years, and the prospect of a stadium in Riyadh dedicated after him.

However, the Saudi government and Kipchoge’s representative are yet to officially respond to the report. No contracts or other documentation are public yet.

If the story is genuine, this would be a big step forward for Saudi Arabia’s plan to become more involved in sports. People see this as part of a bigger plan to improve the country’s standing in the world through sports.

Saudi Arabia has invested in the Saudi Pro League with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, who now plays for Al-Hilal.

Further, Eliud Kipchoge Saudi citizenship would back Saudi’s effort as a major partner in Formula 1, boxing and LIV Golf.

Can Saudi Arabia Give Foreigners Citizenship?

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) recently engaged World Athletics (WA), which suggests that they are interested in the business side of the most popular Olympic sport.

Kipchoge is touted as the best marathon runner of all time. He won 11 major championships. Five in Berlin, four in London, one in Chicago, and one in Tokyo.

He also won two gold medals at the Olympics. The 41-year-old broke the world record twice, but it was finally broken by his late friend Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.

But it’s not easy to change your nationality in sports. Any proposed Eliud Kipchoge Saudi citizenship change would have to follow World Athletics’ tough criteria.

WA made its restrictions stricter following an increasing number of athletes changing their nationality to make more money.

The WA Nationality Review Panel (NRP) must approve any amendments that are made under the current rules. Athletes have to show that they are legal citizens of the new country and have a strong connection to it, like a steady home or a clear legal and personal tie.

People who are under 20 years old can’t change their nationality to compete. In Washington, athletes can only change their nationality once.

They can only do this once in their careers right now, unless they wish to go back and play for their home nation. This is a rule that bans athletes from being utilised as assets that can be moved between countries.

In high-profile cases like Kipchoge, any request to change nationality from another country must also go through NRP procedures.

Since Kipchoge has worked for Kenya for a long time, any change would also have to wait for a while to make sure that foreign representation is stable and clear, and to lower the risk of national commercialisation.