Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday announced the launch of the Esports World Cup to be held annually in Riyadh starting summer 2024.
The launch of the tournament is expected to manifest the goals envisioned in Saudi Arabia’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy. The strategy aims to increase the sector’s contribution to the Kingdom’s gross domestic product by more than SR50 billion ($13.3 billion) by 2030 and create 39,000 new job opportunities.
The crown prince also announced the establishment of the Esports World Cup Foundation, a nonprofit organization to increase collaboration between esports stakeholders.
These developments were announced during “The New Global Sports Conference” in the Saudi capital, according to a press release.
“The Esports World Cup is the natural next step in Saudi Arabia’s journey to become the premier global hub for gaming and esports, offering an unmatched esports experience that pushes the boundaries of the industry,” said the crown prince.
The Crown Prince added: “The competition will enhance our progress toward realizing the Vision 2030 objectives of diversifying the economy, growing the tourism sector, creating new jobs in various industries, and providing world-class entertainment for citizens, residents, and visitors alike.”
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the event aimed to step up the National Gaming and Esports Strategy, a strategy to grow Saudi Arabia’s esports industry publicized by the Crown Prince in September 2022. In a release, the Crown Prince claimed the competition would help realize the country’s Vision 2030 objectives of diversifying its economy, growing the tourism sector, and creating new jobs.
Accompanying the Esports World Cup will be a ‘diversified set of activities and events’ that organizers say will draw visitors and tourists to Riyadh. The indoor tournament is planned as a key attraction to strengthen Saudi tourism during the summer, a remedy for the seasonal drop in tourism-related spending stemming from the Arab country’s hot summer temperatures.
The Esports World Cup will replace Gamers8, the Saudi Esports Federation’s existing $45m (~£37.96m) esports festival in Riyadh, event organizers announced on social media. The titles to be included have not been announced but were described as including the most popular games in the world across all key genres.
