Saudi Arabia To Host Historic Olympic Esports Games
Saudi Arabia is set to host the first-ever Olympic Esports Games in 2027.
The International Olympic Committee confirmed on Tuesday, as part of a 12-year deal with the country signed last year.
The IOC has been looking into esports for several years, forming a dedicated commission to find opportunities to tap into a younger generation involved with gaming.
In 2021, it developed the Olympic Virtual Series, a pilot venture in esports, before signing the deal with Saudi Arabia last year to host the Olympic Esports Games.
According to the IOC President, Thomas Bach, there is a clear roadmap for the tournament.
He said, “There is now a very clear roadmap to the historic first-ever Olympic Esports Games. With the Road to the Olympic Esports Games starting this year, the Games are becoming a reality. This is further evidence of the strength of the partnership between the IOC and the SOPC in many areas.”
A six-member committee has been set up to define which games will be part of the first edition of the Esports Olympics.
The partnership between the IOC and the SOPC comes at a time of significant growth of sport overall in Saudi Arabia.
The Kingdom has staged over 100 international events for both male and female athletes, including esports, football, motorsports, tennis, equestrian and golf, attracting more than three million sports fans.
Overall sports participation levels have more than tripled since 2015 to almost 50 per cent of the country’s population.
The number of sports federations has also increased threefold during this time, from 32 to 97.
The country is also set to organise the FIFA World Cup in 2034.
Saudi Arabia’s sports minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, said the country is looking forward to welcoming the world.
He said, “Saudi Arabia is looking forward to welcoming the world and playing its part to help the dreams of so many esports athletes come true.”
The global esports market was valued at over $4bn in 2024, with projections suggesting it could grow to nearly $6bn by 2028.
Saudi Arabia To Host Historic Olympic Esports Games is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
