From a dream to leadership … how did Saudi Arabia turn into a global center for electronic sports?

In 2024 the size of the global market of electronic games reached 221 billion dollars, exceeding the film, music and the television industry combined with an annual growth rate of up to 9 % and in the light of this evolution scene, Saudi Arabia has set an ambitious goal: to become a leader in this sector, not only organize the championships, but creating an integrated environment that attracts companies and talent is transmitted by MBC.

From the beginning, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Turki al -Faisal, Minister of Sport, played a fundamental role in supporting this sector, but the main directives come from the hereditary prince, the prime minister, who saw in electronic sports a strategic opportunity that exceeds the limits of traditional entertainment.

However, the road to this goal was not easy, there was no official union for electronic sports and the technical infrastructure was not prepared to support global competitions, since the organized laws were not clear, which influenced the existence of international companies at local level and greater dependence on informal markets.

The Turning Point Came With the Founding of the Saudi Electronic Sports Federation, As Prince Faisal Bin Bin Sultan Was proposed to his leadership and the goal was not merely organizing tour, but Rather Building An Integrated System That Includes the Development of Games, support Talents, and ESTABLISHING A competitive Environment that Puts Saudi Arabia at the Heart of this Industry in Implementation of the Vision of the Crown Prince.

The first practical test arrived at that moment: it is the organization of the first official tournament in just 20 days and, despite the challenges, the tournament witnessed the registration of 45 thousand participants, including 1500 players and players and participated in the 5,000 fans events, which revealed the size of the local passion for electronic sports.

But success has shown greater challenges that require sustainable solutions and the hereditary prince was working to prepare infrastructures to guarantee the readiness of the kingdom to host international championships. The infrastructure was the biggest challenge, as there were no local servers, which caused the “delay” (Ping) to 150mm (MS), while the competitive game required rates lower than 40 milliliters.

Dr. Mohamed al -tamimi, governor of communication, of the authority of space and technology, guided the initiative “game modes”, which has significantly improved the quality of the network, which led to a decrease in the “delay rate” of over 83 percent in less than two years and has made Saudi Arabia suitable for hosting the main championships.

The legal framework was another obstacle, as there was no clear mechanism to classify the games, which led to difficulty forming it officially and this helps to spread the black market.

The media regulation authority has worked to renovate the classification systems in coordination with international companies, which led to the regulation of the market and reduce the loss of financial returns abroad. This step was with the direct support of the hereditary prince, who underlined the importance of creating a legal environment that attracts investors in this sector, while Salman al -Dossary, Minister of Information, continuous coordination between the relevant authorities to ensure the effective application of new standards.

After passing these challenges, important championships were launched as players without borders and the Jameers season, which were not only entertainment activities, but rather platforms to discover talents and build organizational experiences and this cumulative experience opened the way for the most important event: hosting the first world cup for electronic sports.

The event has attracted over 1500 players, 500 teams and millions of followers all over the world, and its success was a gateway to host the electronic Olympic games, which strengthened the position of the kingdom as a global center for this sector.

However, ambition did not stop at the championships, but rather extended to the project and -Sports City in Al -qaddiya, who received direct support from the hereditary prince, according to Abdullah al -Awood, managing director of the Al -qudiya investment company.

The idea was not only to create buildings, but rather to develop an integrated environment that simulates the culture of games, as it includes hotels, residential areas and public structures, while intentionally integrating augmented reality technologies (AR), which return to players all over the world.

Today, electronic sports are no longer just an entertainment activity in Saudi Arabia. Rather, it has become an integrated sector supported by enormous investments, global partnerships and advanced infrastructures.

From an idea that seemed far away to achieve the reality of making the kingdom one of the most important international centers in this sector, the road was full of challenges, but each obstacle was a further step to reach the leadership thanks to the vision and insistence of the hereditary prince, the prime minister, the prime minister, who believed that electronic sports were not only a hobby, but a strategic sector that can transform Saudi to the frog. World Digital.