‍Massive investment and strategic vision

• Under Vision 2030 and its National Gaming & Esports Strategy, Saudi aims to contribute around US $13.3 billion to its GDP from gaming by 2030 and create nearly 39,000 jobs.
• The government and private actors have poured billions into esports infrastructure and talent, reports mention around $1.3 billion invested in 2022 alone.

‍

Major international events

• The inaugural Esports World Cup in Riyadh awarded over $62.5 million across 23 competitions, at the time, the largest esports prize pool ever.
• Saudi Arabia is also hosting the first Olympic Esports Games in 2027 in Riyadh, under a 12-year agreement with the IOC.

‍

Home-grown ecosystem & local talent

• The Saudi Esports Federation actively organises a league system including Saudi eLeague, Women’s League, and more supported by world-class arenas like the SEF Arena.
• Domestic teams such as Team Falcons compete professionally across games like Dota, CS2, Valorant, and even FIFA, and even attracted international talents.

‍

Broad cultural adoption

• About 67% of Saudi gamers are aware of esports, and 57% view it as a legitimate sport.
• Tournaments often draw live crowds, with 68% of Saudi gamers attending in-person events, and 60% wanting to compete.
• The demographic is youthful and digitally engaged: 70% of youth play video games, with 23.5 million gaming enthusiasts in the country.

‍

If you're considering expanding your business in Saudi Arabia, we would be happy to support you, let us know how we can help.

‍

Contact and Disclaimer

‍

Should you have any questions regarding the above information, or require assistance with your immigration or global mobility matters, please don’t hesitate to contact our legal team at Hudson McKenzie. You can reach us by email at londoninfo@hudsonmckenzie.com or by telephone at +44 (0) 20 3318 5794.

‍

For office locations, please visit our Our Offices page.

‍

The information provided in this blog is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.

‍

‍