Rising as a global sports powerhouse, Saudi Arabia has been chosen to host the first virtually simulated Esports Olympics in 2025, after its debut these games will be held regularly until 2037.
This decision is the result of several months of consideration by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to organize an event separate from the traditional Olympic Games, which still needs to be approved adhering to formalities at the 142nd session of the IOC set to take place on July 23-24 in Paris.
Saudi Arabia has increasingly hosted various competitions, including football, Formula 1, equestrian events, and boxing. By the end of the year, the oil-rich country is expected to be officially designated – as it is the only candidate – as the host nation for the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
In a more unexpected and widely criticized move, the country is set to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games in its futuristic Neom complex, a massive project driven by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
This initiative aims to develop business and tourism sectors to reduce the kingdom’s dependency on oil revenue. According to Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, the kingdom boasts “more than 23 million gamers” and around a hundred professionals “pursuing full-time careers.”
Aware of the controversies surrounding the Gulf kingdom’s sporting rise, with critics accusing Saudi of trying to divert international attention from its human rights violations, IOC President Thomas Bach assured “that Olympic values are respected” in this partnership.
The Lausanne-based body particularly emphasizes the “rapid development” of Saudi women’s sports, the “regulatory reforms” guaranteeing women’s representation on the boards of all sports federations (“over 100 women appointed, including seven federation presidents”), and equal pay for male and female athletes selected for the national team.
In his statement, Bach praised the “great – if not unique – expertise” of the Saudi National Olympic Committee (NOC) in esports.
In the lead-up to the event’s debut, “work will begin with the selection of a city and a site for the first edition of the Esports Olympics,” the IOC explained, adding the event schedule and qualification process for players is yet to be determined. It invites “international federations that have already launched an electronic version of their sport” to join the future competition, as well as NOCs that already include esports in their activities.
In its ongoing quest to balance Olympic tradition with audience renewal, the IOC had already organized the first “Olympic Esports Week” in Singapore in June 2023 and created an “esports commission” chaired by Frenchman David Lappartient in October 2023 to consider a dedicated competition without yet determining how regularly the event will be held.
On Friday, the IOC confirmed that the Esports Olympics would be organized “within a completely new specialized structure within the IOC, clearly separated from the organizational and financial model of the Olympic Games.” The allocation of its TV rights will give a good idea of the sector’s economic potential.