Saudi Arabia and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have entered into an agreement for 12 years to host the upcoming esports Olympics in the nation beginning in the subsequent year. The IOC has announced that these competitions will be held regularly, with the inaugural event scheduled for 2025.
In a press release on Friday, both entities did not reveal the financial commitment Saudi Arabia would make towards this initiative. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Faisal, who chairs Saudi Arabia's National Olympic Committee and is also known as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's advisor on sports development under Vision 2030, expressed that the collaboration will support their young athletes in furthering their careers while contributing to global esports culture.
The IOC has previously signaled its intention to incorporate video gaming into future Olympic events with the aim of engaging a younger audience and preserving tradition by upholding values such as gender equality, according to an announcement tied to the Saudi Arabia agreement.
As part of this development, during the two-month Esports World Cup taking place in Riyadh, representatives from both organizations signed their first formal partnership, a move that falls within the broader scope of events organized under Vision 2030. This ambitious strategy seeks to diversify Saudi Arabia's economy and modernize its societal framework beyond oil dependence.
Saudi Arabia has hosted numerous high-profile boxing matches, including heavyweight championship bouts in recent times. In addition, the kingdom is behind the LIV Golf project aimed at presenting a competitive alternative to traditional American PGA Tour events. The country also stands set to host major sporting events such as the 2034 Asian Games and both men's football contests scheduled for 2027 and 2029 in Asia, with locations within Saudi Arabia itself.
While there are voices of concern over this push into international sports from human rights advocates who view it as a strategy to improve the kingdom's image (a practice known colloquially as "sportswashing"), the IOC President Thomas Bach has expressed his enthusiasm for collaborating with Saudi Arabia on these Olympic esports events. He highlighted that both parties recognize each other’s unique expertise in this burgeoning field, and the agreement will be presented to the IOC membership at their meeting next month in Paris.
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