2024 marks a historic milestone for Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning esports industry. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the first edition of Olympic Esports Games to be held in 2025 in Saudi Arabia. After several strategic partnerships and investments in the esports space, key players like ESL FACEIT Group and Savvy Games have ensured the Kingdom emerges as the flagbearer of fostering the finest esports talent in the world.
A HISTORIC VOTE!
The 142nd IOC Session votes for the creation of the Olympic Esports Games.
Mark the date 🥳 pic.twitter.com/CPRrwrirba
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 23, 2024
HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said: “Thanks to Vision 2030 introduced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, esports in Saudi Arabia already have a rich past, an exciting present, and a promising future. And the reason why is the same reason why we are investing across all sports—our young people. Our commitment to esports is simply a reflection of the world our young people live in, and we now all have the chance to write new Olympic history together. The chance to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world.”
The Kingdom’s recent spending spree is a reflection of its renewed Vision 2030, which aims to rebrand Saudi Arabia into a modern hub for innovation in the region. Key contributors to the Saudi Arabia’s esports scene like Brian Ward, Group CEO of Savvy Games explained that “Savvy’s ultimate aim is to make Saudi a global games and esports hub, by building capabilities and leading international and local investments.” Saudi Arabia is the first country in the world to have a National Games and Esports Strategy (NGES) that aims to create “39,000 jobs and contribute SAR 50 billion ($13 billion) to GDP by 2030,” added Ward.
How did Saudi Arabia become synonymous with esports?
When a nation has a tech-savvy demographic, esports are bound to thrive. According to Craig Levine, co-CEO of ESL FACEIT Group, “Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s fastest-growing esports and gaming markets thanks to its young population, 63% of whom are under the age of 30. This, along with government-backed initiatives such as Vision 2030 and the National Gaming and Esports Strategy,” acts as key drivers in the KSA esports success story.
In the official announcement, the IOC boosted Saudi Arabia’s presence in the global esports arena, hosting “over 1,700 elite players from over 80 countries” since 2022. The Kingdom has managed to cultivate 67% of its population as gamers and attracted a global viewership of nearly 1.3 billion views across all streaming platforms. Deloitte’s ‘Let’s Play, Saudi Arabia!’ report published in August 2023 highlighted the exceptional pace of Saudi Arabia’s booming esports industry. Esports serve as one of the few sports in the Kingdom that indicate almost equal gender parity, with 48% female gamers in the population pool.
Enthusiastic Saudi gamers have amplified personal investments in gaming, with an average of SAR 74 spent on gaming PCs and consoles. This amounts to approximately 60% of most Saudis monthly expenditure. Key players like ESL FACEIT Group are capitalizing on Saudi Arabia’s gaming fever by establishing “a broadcast hub in Riyadh and forging multi-year partnerships with Qiddiya City and the Esports World Cup,” said Levine enthusiastically.
Saudi Arabia’s multi-faceted approach towards esports has resulted in cultivating competitive gamers that actively contribute to a range of other industries like fitness, business, and healthcare. The Kingdom has also been attentive to its local audiences demand for live esports events, primarily hosted by the PIF-backed Savvy Games, which received $37.8 billion (142 SAR billion) across four key programs to enable game development, support early-stage companies, and invest in industry partners to grow Savvy’s expertise and portfolio. With significant investments and sustained awareness, the Kingdom has become home to esports finalists like Musaed Al Dossary, a renowned name in the global gaming circuit.
