His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, has announced the launch of the Esports World Cup. This annual competition will begin in the summer of 2024 and will be hosted in Riyadh. It is set to become the largest global event of its kind, aiming to support the gaming and esports sector while bolstering Saudi Arabia’s position as a hub for international esports and sports competitions.
In addition to this, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman introduced the Esports World Cup Foundation, a non-profit organization with the goal of fostering collaboration among esports stakeholders and enhancing the sector’s sustainability.
This announcement was made during “The New Global Sport Conference,” which featured prominent officials and global leaders in the sports, gaming, and esports industries. HRH the Crown Prince emphasized the significance of the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia’s journey to establish itself as a global gaming and esports hub, contributing to diversifying the economy, boosting tourism, creating jobs, and offering world-class entertainment for all.
The launch of the Esports World Cup aligns with the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to support and expand the esports sector and its aspirations to develop the entertainment and sports industries both domestically and internationally. It builds upon the enthusiasm for gaming seen among Saudi Arabia’s youthful population and local esports achievements. The tournament aims to accelerate the National Gaming and Esports Strategy, targeting a significant increase in the sector’s contribution to the GDP by 2030 and the creation of numerous job opportunities.
The Esports World Cup is designed to create an environment conducive to the growth and sustainability of players, clubs, and the sector as a whole. It will feature the world’s most popular games across all genres and offer the largest prize pool in esports history. The tournament will introduce a unique cross-game competition format, rewarding clubs that take on the challenge to become the ultimate Esports World Cup Champion, thereby supporting the growth and sustainability of all esports clubs.
To complement the tournament, various activities and events will be organized, attracting visitors and tourists to Riyadh and transforming it into a gaming capital. This initiative is especially significant since Saudi Arabia experiences a decrease in hotel occupancy rates, tourism spending, restaurant and cafe spending, and consumer purchasing power during the summer.
The Esports World Cup Foundation will release more details about the event in the coming year.
