Sun Valley With Sand Dunes: Barack Obama, Ryan Reynolds and Ari Emanuel Touch Down in Doha for Inaugural Sportico World Summit

Doha, Qatar’s capital city and main financial hub, saw serious star traffic this week from Hollywood players and world leaders. 

Heads of state including President Barack Obama, former British prime ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, “Deadpool and Wolverine” star Ryan Reynolds, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and host of other big names hit the Arabian Peninsula for the inaugural Sportico World Summit. 

The publication hosted an intimate gathering of 75 top creatives, politicians and thinkers to discuss worldwide issues and foster alliances across borders. Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Penske Media Corporation CEO Jay Penske served as hosts. The summit, which will become an annual gathering, is an expansion of Sportico’s U.S. confab on South Carolina’s Kiawah Island, which primarily draws sport franchise owners. 

Speaking of, the Doha program attracted names like Tottenham Hotspurs chairman Daniel Levy, Ariel Investments Co-CEO Mellody Hobson, Magic Johnson, Eldridge Industries founder and CEO Todd Boehly, actor Omar Sy, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and former Italian PM Matteo Renz. 

In addition to keynotes and thought leadership, the summit landed a pretty significant cultural moment as well: acclaimed Chinese pianist Lang Lang played a 200-year old Chopin waltz only recently discovered, for a select crowd at the IM Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art. 

Recapping his trip to Qatar where Obama made onstage remarks, Reynolds said the event featured “heavy hitters” and that conversation “swung wildly from technology to lower league football to Teletubbies. As expected.” 

Variety and Sportico are owned by PMC.