Saudi Arabia will host the first official Olympic Esports Games in 2025 after reaching an agreement with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The IOC has struck a partnership deal with the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) which extends for a period of 12 years, starting with organising the Olympic Games for electronic sports (e-sports) in Saudi Arabia in 2025, and holding additional sessions later.
The agreement is an extension of the series of various global tournaments that Saudi Arabia has recently succeeded in hosting, and an affirmation of its leadership position as a global hub for e-sports.
Saudi Olympic Esports Games 2025
In a statement, the IOC clarified that its executive office has forwarded its approval to establish the Olympic Games for e-sports in Saudi Arabia to the 143rd session of the IOC, scheduled to be held in the French capital, Paris, on the sidelines of the Summer Games.
More information about the event is expected to come out following the meeting.
In remarks on the occasion, Minister of Sports and SOPC Chairman Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal attributed the development to the unprecedented support that sports in the Kingdom enjoys from the leadership of this great nation, and the continuous support and follow-up by the Crown Prince, which has enabled the sports authorities to proceed with hosting such international events.
For her part, Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, member of the IOC, member of the Board of Directors of the SOPC, and Chair of the Women’s Sports Committee, also paid tribute to the generous support provided by the wise Saudi leadership for the sports sector in general, and e-sports in particular, which has witnessed unprecedented development.
She described the partnership between OIC and the SOPC as a historic step enabling Olympic sports to move to a new stage.