Saudi Arabia Will Host the World’s First Esports Olympics in 2025
Saudi Arabia will host the first-ever Esports Olympics in 2025, as announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 12 July 2024.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced its partnership with Saudi Arabia’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) to host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games 2025. The move further legitimizes esports as a sport, especially since esports saw exponential growth across multiple game titles in recent years.
Saudi Arabia Secures 12-Year Partnership with IOC for Esports Olympics
According to an AFP report, the partnership between the IOC and the Saudi NOC will span 12 years, with the Olympic Esports Games to be held regularly.
Riyadh is currently hosting the Esports World Cup 2024 in Boulevard Riyadh, with 22 games in different events. The Esports World Cup 2024 has a combined prize pool of over $60 million, the largest pot in the history of esports.
“We are very fortunate to collaborate with the Saudi NOC on the Olympic Esports Games, given its extensive expertise in the field of esports,” IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement.
“The Olympic Esports Games will greatly benefit from this experience. By partnering with the Saudi NOC, we have ensured that Olympic values are upheld, particularly regarding the game titles on the program, promoting gender equality, and engaging with the young audience that embraces esports,” Bach added.
Events in the inaugural Esports Olympics in 2025 are expected to be similar to the games being played in the Esports World Cup. Among the game titles being contested in the Esports World Cup are Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, League of Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, Counter-Strike 2, Fortnite, Teamfight Tactics, Tekken 8, StarCraft II, and PUBG: Battlegrounds.
Qiddiya’s Esports Gaming District

The Esports Olympics is expected to be held in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia’s groundbreaking entertainment megaproject for gaming and esports. It recently unveiled its gaming district where the Esports World Cup and Esports Olympics will be held in the future. Qiddiya’s Gaming & Esports district aims to establish the Kingdom as the global epicenter of the rapidly growing gaming and esports industry.
“Located in Qiddiya City, the vibrant district will be home to four dedicated esports venues that will host global events and aims to attract up to 10 million visits a year. It will form part of the ambitious development of Qiddiya City into a global destination for entertainment, sports and culture, based on the power of play,” Qiddiya City wrote on its site.