Saudi Arabia to host inaugural Olympics Esports Games in 2025 

MANILA, Philippines -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the inaugural Olympic Esports Games happening in 2025 will take place in Saudi Arabia, after partnering with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia for 12 years, with Olympic Esports Games held regularly.

“We are very fortunate to be able to work with the Saudi NOC on the Olympic Esports Games, because it has great – if not unique – expertise in the field of esports with all its stakeholders. The Olympic Esports Games will greatly benefit from this experience,” said IOC president Thomas Bach. 

“By partnering with the Saudi NOC we have also ensured that the Olympic values are respected, in particular, with regard to the game titles on the programme, the promotion of gender equality and engagement with the young audience, which is embracing esports,” he added. 

The IOC has been venturing into esports since 2018, establishing an Esports Liaison Group as a platform to engage with all the esports stakeholders. They had included a recommendation for esports and virtual games in their Olympic Agenda 2020+5 designed to strengthen the Olympic Movement by 2025. 

They then held the Olympic Virtual Series (OVS) back in 2021 prior to the Tokyo Olympics which was followed by the Olympic Esports Series (OES) in Singapore in 2023. Following the success of OES, the IOC had formed its Esports Commission last October 2023.

Currently, Saudi Arabia is the venue for the inaugural Esports World Cup, combining 22 esports events across 21esports titles in an annual international esports festival that is set to make history with the largest prize pool to date with over $60 million (approximately P448.9 million).

"Saudi Arabia is hugely excited by the prospect of partnering with the IOC and helping to welcome a completely new era for international sport. We believe that to take part in the Olympic Games is one of the greatest honours any athlete can achieve. And we are proud to support the writing of a new chapter in Olympic history that has the potential to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world," said Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

He adds, “We are a youthful nation, with over 23 million gamers, embracing the future with new thinking and partnerships. Our Kingdom has become a global hub for professional esports. Hosting this event is the result of a rich past, an exciting present and a promising future for the industry in the Kingdom. This is a natural next step for our young athletes, our country and the global esports community.”

Besides the Esports World Cup and the coming Olympic Esports Games, Saudi Arabia will also host the 2024 World Esports Championship organized by the International Esports Federation, whose elected president is Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, the current chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation.