Agon Capital, the Dubai-based investment and development firm behind Precision Football and several high-end lifestyle ventures, is accelerating plans to expand into Saudi Arabia as part of its regional growth strategy, Group CEO Ryan Hattingh told Arabian Business.
“We’re definitely taking Precision to Saudi,” Hattingh said. “We’ll probably do one or two centres in Riyadh, one in Jeddah, and potentially one in NEOM. For the elite athletes, we’ll do camps within the Red Sea. We’ve had heavy conversations with quite a lot of government ministries and private investors over there.”
Precision Football to launch in Saudi Arabia
Hattingh said the approach is calibrated to local demand. “The Saudi market is 90 per cent local,” he said. “You have to cater for them and understand that market. We’re going in with that mindset.”
Precision Football combines training, performance analytics and youth engagement through tech-integrated academies. “When I was a kid, getting a ball and kicking it around was fantastic,” Hattingh said. “Nowadays, they want to see what everyone else is doing – what the data says. So our football tech slots into that.”
The company already operates a professional squad and academies in the UAE with more than 1,000 players. It works with the Ministry of Sports on talent identification and referee coaching, and has launched a sports science course that Hattingh said is “registered with UCAS” with 25 spaces and 1,800 applicants.
He said the hybrid model of sport, education and technology aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 push to boost participation and develop talent pathways. Because Precision is club-agnostic, Agon can partner across teams to run academies as in-house programmes.
Hattingh added that investors entering the Kingdom need to understand local behaviour. The smart-casual dining segment is large, but the ultra-premium market is smaller, he said, noting that some operators have missed expectations. “You just have to understand what works,” he said.
Founded in 2021, Agon Capital is a family-owned conglomerate spanning hospitality, sports and leisure, real estate and investments. Its hospitality brands include Gitano Dubai, BCH:CLB, The Coterie, Coterie Kitchen and Saylor’s, alongside Dubai venues such as CHI. In real estate, Agon oversees more than 100 premium apartments and commercial spaces in the UAE and is a strategic investor in Eden House projects with H&H Developments.
Hattingh described Agon’s strategy as an end-to-end lifestyle platform. “I want people to work with us, live with us, train with us, eat with us, party with us,” he said. “We’re creating a tribe – people who say, ‘this is an Agon restaurant, this is an Agon property, this is an Agon academy.’”
International expansion
Agon’s international pipeline is anchored by the Villivaru Island Resort in the Maldives, being developed through Villivaru Holdings Pvt Ltd, a joint venture with Janah International Holdings (JIH). The 19-hectare private island features a 1.8-kilometre lagoon and is scheduled to open in 2027.
The resort will comprise 61 villas and 11 exclusive residences. A world-renowned hotel operator will be announced later, though Hattingh decline to provide further details. He said an LOI has been signed and an architectural competition with three prominent firms is underway. “It will be the most ultra-luxury, exclusive resort in the Maldives,” he said.
Beyond Saudi Arabia, Agon is exploring selective opportunities in Africa, with Rwanda highlighted as underserved. For now, Hattingh said, the company remains focused on the Gulf’s policy-driven growth. “We’re bullish, but we’re not rushing. The opportunity is clear – it’s just about finding the right partners,” he said.
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