When most people think of video gaming hubs, more specifically Esports hubs, Saudi Arabia doesn’t often spring to mind. People who have any kind of knowledge of this sector of the iGaming industry tend to think of the United States and China, the two biggest hubs.
However, Saudi Arabian officials are looking to upset the status quo and have recently invested $38 billion into the Esports and gaming sector to help it grow.
The question being asked here is, will Saudi Arabia’s recent bold multi-billion-dollar investment see the kingdom becoming the new centre of Esports?
Let’s dive straight in to find out.
Why did Saudi Arabia recently invest so much in its Esports and gaming sector?
In an extraordinary effort to diversify its economy, Saudi Arabia recently announced that it is investing close to $40 billion in the Esports and gaming sector.
The goal is for the kingdom to become one of the world’s leading gaming hubs by the end of the decade, and the strategic investment, which is spearheaded by Savvy Games Group, is part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan.
Savvy Games Group is a subsidiary of the PIF (Public Investment Fund) – the main body that oversees investments of this kind.
The $38 billion investment will help to create new employment opportunities across the country, and if the bold vision works out as planned, it will contribute significantly to the economy and reposition Saudi Arabia as a leading hub of gaming.
To achieve the goals set out by the multi-year plan, money will be invested in various key areas, such as helping startup companies to enter the market and assisting well-established/mature companies. It will also include developing and acquiring existing game publishers and taking minority stakes in gaming companies.
Although the investment is intended to have a global reach, the country is also committed to developing home-grown companies and creating jobs for people living here.
It’s unclear what types of new gaming companies will emerge, but it will be interesting to see what happens over the coming years.
For example, we could soon start seeing all of the world’s best triple-A blockbuster video games being made here, or we might start to see feature-rich online slot machines arriving at the best PayPal casinos Canada has to offer. We will just have to wait and see what happens over the next five years.
Many experts believe that Saudi Arabia could very well be one of the world’s next major gaming hubs.
Saudi Arabia to host the Esports World Cup (ECW) 2025
From July 7 until August 24, Saudi Arabia will be hosting the annual Esports World Cup (EWC) in Riyadh in what is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting professional video game tournaments of the year.
Here are a few key details about the upcoming EWC, which you will be able to watch live in person or on various trusted Esports gaming and video sharing platforms:
- Esports tournament name: Esports World Cup (EWC)
- Runs: Annually
- Format: Multi-game tournament
- Where and When: To be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 until August 24, 2025
- How many tournaments: A total of 25 individual tournaments are planned
- Games: 24 games, some of which include Apex Legends, Call of Duty, PUBG (PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds), and Honor of Kings
- Tournament organiser: Esports World Cup Foundation
- Prize pool: Minimum of $70,000,000.00 guaranteed
- Number of Esports teams/participants: More than 2,000 players from over 200 clubs from across the world
- Funding: The 2025 ECW in Riyadh is also funded by Saudi Arabia’s PIF (Public Investment Fund)
According to official reports, competitors will also be battling it out in the digital arena playing various other hit titles, such as Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, Counter-Strike, Dota 2, EA Sports FC, League of Legends, and Overwatch.
That’s not forgetting to mention Fighters, Free Fire, Chess, Sim Racing, CrossFire, Mobile Legends, Starcraft II, Teamfight Tactics, and VALORANT.
If the event is a huge success, which many experts who follow this sector closely firmly believe it will be, and if Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan is also a success, there is no reason why the region cannot be the world’s next major global gaming hub.
It could still take many years before Saudi Arabia overtakes the United States and China on the global stage as an Esports and gaming powerhouse.
However, with the right kind of continued investment and carefully implemented strategies, the kingdom could easily leapfrog various other established gaming hubs, such as South Korea, Russia, and Brazil.
Final thoughts
Saudi Arabia’s investment will be split among various key sectors. For example, according to further reports, around 2 billion SAR (Saudi Riyal) will specifically go towards Esports and early-stage companies.
Around 20 billion SAR will be invested in mature gaming businesses, 50 billion will be used for developing and acquiring existing game publishers, and 70 billion for acquiring minority stakes in gaming companies.
Various emerging technological developments, government investment, and thriving gaming communities over the coming years mean that Saudi Arabia is expected to gain somewhere in the region of US$13.3 billion from Esports and gaming by 2030.
In the process, it will create close to 40,000 jobs by the end of the decade, and if Saudi Arabia continues on the same path, there’s a good chance it will reposition itself as a major player in the gaming and Esports sector.
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