Research Overview
Dr. Amara research spans sport policy analysis, postcolonial sport studies, mega-event legacy, and sport & development — covering 23 Arab countries as well as comparative work in European and Global South contexts.
Sport in the Arab World — Longitudinal Research Programme
Ongoing programme of research examining sport governance, policy, and society across the MENA region. Topics include football and national identity, mega-event hosting and legacy, sport and Islam, and the geopolitics of Gulf sport development. Outputs include monographs, edited volumes, journal articles, and policy papers.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup: Political Legacies and Future Impact
Collaborative research project resulting in the edited volume The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar (Routledge, 2024), co-edited with Nikolay Kozhanov and Mahjoob Zweiri. Examined political, cultural, and social dimensions of the tournament.
Sport Communication and Identity in the MENA Region
Research project on sport media, broadcasting rights, and identity politics across the Arab world. Led to guest-edited special issue of the Asian Journal of Sport History and Culture (Vol. 3, 2023) and a co-authored book chapter in De Gruyter's Communication and Sport.
Sport, Muslim Identities and Social Inclusion in Europe
Comparative research on sport provision for Muslim communities and ethnic minorities in the UK. Case studies of Leicester and Birmingham. Funded by the British Academy and informed UK sport policy discussions. Published in European Sport Management Quarterly (2010).
Comparative Sport Policy — Transnational Network Formation
EU-funded research on sport-related regional development projects in the Arabian Peninsula. Co-authored with Eleni Theodoraki. Published in International Journal of Sport Policy (2010).
Pan-Arab Games and Arab Sport Nationalism
Early-career research on sport, Arab nationalism, and international competition structures. Published in International Review for the Sociology of Sport (2003).
Sport Security and Fan Violence in North Africa
Applied research for ICSS on fan violence and ultras movements in Algeria and Morocco. Resulted in policy-facing publications in the ICSS journal and direct consultancy with international security bodies.
Research Funding Bodies
Editorial Board Memberships
- Asian Journal of Sport History and Culture
- International Journal of the Sociology of Sport
- International Journal of Scientific Communication and Sport
- IOC Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage — Research Grants Selection Committee (current member)