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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.
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.
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.
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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.