As Saudi Arabia further solidifies its position as a global esports hub, the Kingdom is shifting its focus to build on this success and prove it’s not just capable of leading the sector but also innovating it.
Tapping into a high-potential industry
The 21st century has witnessed a series of industry shifts as legacy fields seek to take advantage of developments in digital and emerging technologies. This is especially true for the gaming industry, which has seized innovations in video formats and special effects to create a new era of competitive gaming: esports.
As a relatively novel industry compared to traditional gaming forms, esports presents a huge opportunity for global markets to be at the forefront of change.
Recognizing this immense potential, Saudi Arabia has already staked a claim in the industry’s development—not only to heighten its international standing but also its own reformation. Looking to diversify its economy as part of its Vision 2030 strategy, Saudi is innovating esports as a means of bringing in new revenue, new jobs, and new talent from around the world.
In the next few years, Saudi Arabia’s esports market is expected to show an annual growth rate of 9.81%, resulting in a market volume of $15.4 million and creating an additional 39,000 jobs. For the young generation—of which over 68% self-identify as gamers—this will be a chance to turn their passion for gaming into a dream career.
Becoming a world-class esports arena
While young Saudis prepare to advance esports to the next level, Saudi Arabia is ensuring they have a strong infrastructure from which to do it.
Strategic investments in high-speed internet connectivity, entertainment arenas, and gaming centers have already secured the creation of 150 True Gamers’ esports lounges in the Kingdom, and enabled the running of a pioneering esports event: the Esports World Cup.
The 2024 Esports World Cup
Held in Riyadh throughout July and August, the inaugural Esports World Cup brought together more than 1,500 global players to compete for the title of best esports club in the world and a record-breaking prize fund of over $60 million. Unlike traditional, single-game competitions, it saw participants go head-to-head in 22 major tournaments across 21 game titles, creating a competitive environment unlike anything seen before.
The big numbers from the ewc
- Total audience: Over 500 million viewers
- Content consumed: 250 million hours
- On-site attendees: Over 2 million
- Total prize money awarded: Over $60 million
At the closing ceremony, the victorious Team Falcons lifted the Esports World Cup Championship Trophy and took home the $7 million prize fund.
“The Esports World Cup was a smashing success and beyond my optimistic expectations,” says Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. “We outperformed all “hard” KPIs—attendance, viewership, media coverage, and customer satisfaction—by far.”
The Esports World Cup Foundation has confirmed the event’s return to Riyadh in July and August 2025.
Creating a game plan for the future
As Saudi Arabia sets its sights on the future of global esports, it plans to build on the success of the Esports World Cup. “Looking ahead, we want to help grow the industry across the board,” reveals Reichert.
“We want to be an even bigger platform for clubs and players, reach even more fans, and ultimately build a bridge between esports and all 3.4 billion gamers in the world, while simultaneously bringing esports closer to the world of traditional sports,” he continues. But not without the help of some of the most creative minds in the industry and supporting fields.
At the recent New Global Sport Conference (NGSC) hosted by the Esports World Cup Federation, top players from esports, entertainment, and technology united in conversation to discuss ways of elevating the competitive experience and enhancing fandom culture. Next year, they plan to facilitate more games, bigger prize pools, and larger arenas, all in the hopes of creating a dynamic culture of inclusivity for players and fans.
The NGSC marked the development of plans to further raise the platform of esports on the world stage—a goal that will be achieved in 2025 with the holding of the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in Saudi Arabia. As they write the next chapter in Olympic history, the games will hope to inspire the ambitions of millions of athletes around the world and the viewership of a new, and more widespread, esports fanbase.
Although the esports industry in Saudi Arabia is still in its early stages, strategic investments and ground developments, combined with a young and enthusiastic population, have set the Kingdom up as a promising market for growth and innovation in what seems to be a sector of endless possibility.
Find out more about the future of esports.
