The story: Saudi Arabia has been elected as the host of the 2027 Asian Football Cup. But the abstention of Palestine in the voting at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Congress has sparked an online uproar targeting Jabril Rajoub, the head of the Palestinian Football Federation. Meanwhile, regional rival Iran has gained rare acknowledgement in Saudi media for supporting the Kingdom’s bid. This comes as Riyadh seeks to expand its hosting of sports events under the Vision 2030 development agenda.

The coverage: The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Feb. 1 that the Kingdom had won its bid to host the 2027 Asian Cup.

• State-owned Al-Ekhbariya TV used the hashtag “#together_for_the_future_of_Asia” in Arabic. It also broadcast remarks by Sports Minister Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, who asserted that Saudi Arabia is taking “great steps in the hosting of the world’s largest sporting events.”

• Saudi-funded Al-Arabiya TV noted how the Asian Cup will add to the Kingdom’s sports portfolio, which includes other events such as...