On July 12, Saudi Arabia and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Saudi Arabia will host the first Olympic eSports Games in 2025. The Games will be held regularly for 12 years.
Saudi Arabia Strategically Promoting eSports
Saudi Arabia has been hosting the Olympic eSports Series (Olympic Esports Series ) for some time. From July 3 to August 25, the "eSports World Cup" will be held in Riyadh. From July 3 to August 25, the city of Riyadh will host the "eSports World Cup" with more than 500 teams from around the world competing in 21 different game titles with a total prize pool of more than $60 million, a development and expansion of the "Gamers 8" held the previous year.
The Saudi government has established the Saudi Esports Federation (Saudi Esports Federation) to promote e-sports, and is strengthening its ties with international organizations such as the International eSports Federation (IeSF) and the Global eSports Federation (GEF). In December 2023, we also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Japan eSports Union (JeSU).
Saudi Arabia's Minister of Sports Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Chairman of the International Olympic and Paralympic Committee, commented as follows.
"We are a young country with more than 23 million games enthusiasts (gamers) who embrace the future with new ideas and partnerships. Under the patronage of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman, we are already a global hub for professional e-sports."