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Saudi Arabia Launches Summer 2024 eSports World Cup

Football megastar Ronaldo was in attendance, and was honored to meet His Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Published

2 years ago

October 24, 2023

saudi arabia launches summer 2024 esports world cup

On Monday, October 23, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia announced the launch of the eSports World Cup. The event will be held annually from Summer 2024 in the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh.

The eSports World Cup is the largest of its kind and will help to consolidate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position as an international pro gaming hub. The event will include games across a wide range of genres, with players competing for the largest pool of prize money ever to be issued at this type of event.

According to Arab News, the newly announced World Cup should boost the Saudi Arabian GDP by over 13 billion USD while creating nearly 40,000 new jobs.

saudi arabia esports world cup ronaldo

During the launch, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who was invited to the event. The star shared several images on social media and said he was honored to meet the Crown Prince.

The eSports World Cup launch also allowed Saudi Arabian officials to announce the establishment of the eSports World Cup Foundation, a non-profit organization to boost sustainability and cement the Kingdom’s place as a global gaming hub.

Also Read: Top 10 Best Video Games Set In The Middle East

The Saudi government is currently going to great lengths to promote the growth of the local gaming industry through its National Gaming and Esports Strategy.

Saudi Arabia is already home to the MENA’s leading gaming industry. The country has around 21 million gamers (nearly 58% of the population) and is the 19th biggest gaming market in the world, with a projected value of $2.6 billion by 2027 — a growth rate of 7.5% per year.

News

HUMAIN & NVIDIA Partner To Build Saudi AI Factories Of The Future

In a push to position the Kingdom as a global AI hub, the partnership will co-develop next-gen AI infrastructure, digital twins, and workforce training.

Published

2 days ago

May 14, 2025

Nour Nasir

humain and nvidia partner to build saudi ai factories of the future

HUMAIN, the AI-focused subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA to build the infrastructure powering Saudi Arabia’s next industrial revolution: AI factories capable of driving massive-scale innovation and digital transformation.

The partnership reflects HUMAIN’s plans to turn the Kingdom into a global AI powerhouse by building new infrastructure, real-world applications, and investing in talent. Through the alliance, HUMAIN and NVIDIA will construct hyperscale AI data centers, digital twins, and launch national upskilling programs.

At the heart of the partnership is HUMAIN’s plan to deploy AI factories with a capacity of up to 500 megawatts, fueled by hundreds of thousands of NVIDIA GPUs over the next five years. Phase one includes the installation of 18,000 NVIDIA GB300 Grace Blackwell superchips and InfiniBand networking, creating one of the world’s most powerful AI supercomputing environments.

These centers will provide the scale and security needed to support innovation across Saudi Arabia’s industries — from energy and logistics to healthcare and finance.

“AI, like electricity and the internet, is essential infrastructure for every nation,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “Together with HUMAIN, we are building AI infrastructure for the people and companies of Saudi Arabia to realize the bold vision of the Kingdom”.

HUMAIN will also leverage NVIDIA Omniverse to drive the next phase of industrial transformation — physical AI. By simulating and optimizing complex environments in digital twin form, sectors like manufacturing, utilities, and logistics can operate more efficiently, safely, and sustainably.

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“Our partnership with NVIDIA is a bold step forward in realizing the Kingdom’s ambitions to lead in AI and advanced digital infrastructure,” said Tareq Amin, CEO of HUMAIN. “Together, we are building the capacity, capability, and a new globally enabled community to shape a future powered by intelligent technology and empowered people”.

In tandem with infrastructure development, HUMAIN and NVIDIA will also launch large-scale AI education and training initiatives, designed to upskill thousands of Saudi professionals in advanced AI, robotics, and digital twin technologies.

These efforts will contribute to building a self-sustaining AI ecosystem and support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 ambitions for economic diversification and digital leadership.