The Cultural DNA of Prestige: Identity and Belonging in Qatar’s Arabian Horse Heritage Spectatorship

Abstract

Arabian horse beauty contests are a form of heritage sport shaped by cultural tradition, aesthetics, and social interaction. Most research on sport spectatorship focuses on team-based and performance-driven contexts, with limited attention given to heritage equestrian events and the cultural factors influencing spectator involvement. This study explores why people attend an Arabian horse beauty contest at Al Shaqab, Qatar, and how they experience it beyond traditional sport settings. This study used a qualitative approach, with data collected through sixteen semi-structured interviews with spectators alongside analysis of secondary sources pertaining to the event context. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the study identified key dimensions of spectatorship: relational pathways to attendance, experience-based engagement, aesthetic immersion, prestige-oriented perceptions of exclusivity, and interpretations of cultural heritage. The findings show that spectators are not mainly motivated by competition or specialized sport knowledge. Instead, engagement is shaped by social connections and invitations, experiential interaction, and how people create meaning from the experience. Based on these findings, this study introduces the Heritage Prestige Spectatorship Model (HPSM), which explains spectatorship as shaped by social networks, event experiences, prestige, and interpretations of identity and heritage. This study adds to sport management literature by moving beyond performance-based models and offering a culturally grounded perspective on spectatorship in heritage sport. It also provides practical insights for event organizers seeking to design experiences that reconcile audience engagement with the safeguarding of cultural significance.

Date of Award	2026
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Science and Engineering