The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that it has partnered with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia to host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games 2025 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This groundbreaking step follows the IOC’s recent announcement that the IOC Executive Board (EB) has established Olympic Esports Games. The proposal will be made to the IOC Session, which will be held on the eve of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

The duration of the partnership between the IOC and the Saudi NOC will be 12 years, with Olympic Esports Games held regularly.

“We are very fortunate to be able to work with the Saudi NOC on the Olympic Esports Games, because it has great – if not unique – expertise in the field of esports with all its stakeholders. The Olympic Esports Games will greatly benefit from this experience,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “By partnering with the Saudi NOC we have also ensured that the Olympic values are respected, in particular, with regard to the game titles on the programme, the promotion of gender equality and engagement with the young audience, which is embracing esports.”

HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said: “Saudi Arabia is hugely excited by the prospect of partnering with the IOC and helping to welcome a completely new era for international sport. We believe that to take part in the Olympic Games is one of the greatest honours any athlete can achieve. And we are proud to support the writing of a new chapter in Olympic history that has the potential to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world.

“As a ‘first’ ever Esports Olympic Games, obviously there is still much to consider and plan with the IOC, but we are committed to hosting a special event that respects and celebrates the Olympic values while boldly seizing the momentum to drive esports forward with the international platform the sport and its athletes deserve. The world will have an open invitation to join us in 2025 and celebrate this moment together.

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“We are a youthful nation, with over 23 million gamers, embracing the future with new thinking and partnerships. Supported by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, our Kingdom has become a global hub for professional esports. Hosting this event is the result of a rich past, an exciting present and a promising future for the industry in the Kingdom. This is a natural next step for our young athletes, our country and the global esports community.”

The partnership comes at a time of significant growth of sport overall in Saudi Arabia, and is driven by the country’s social and economic transformation under Vision 2030. Since 2018, the Kingdom has been entrusted with delivering some of the biggest global sports events, staging over 100 international events for both male and female athletes, including esports, football, motorsports, tennis, equestrian and golf, attracting  over 2.6 million sports fans.

As a result, sport has become a growing part of everyday life in Saudi Arabia at every level, from amateur to elite. 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 98, with the Saudi Esports Federation being one example of the growth underway. As many as 67 per cent of the Saudi population consider themselves to be gamers, with an ever-increasing number, currently 100, of pro esports players pursuing full-time careers.

Women’s sport in particular has witnessed rapid growth, and almost half of the Kingdom’s 23 million gamers are female. There are now also over 330,000 registered female athletes and nearly  40 women’s national teams competing internationally. Grassroots sport is flourishing, too, with sport firmly part of the school curriculum for all girls, as demonstrated by the 70,000 schoolgirls playing in the school football league each week. In addition to playing sport, reforms to regulations ensure there is female representation on the boards of all sports federations, with over 100 women now appointed, including seven female federation presidents.  Additionally, all female and male athletes receive exactly the same level of pay when on national duty in their sport.          

Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, an IOC Member, member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and President of the Women’s Committee, said: “Witnessing the growing trends of female participation in esports is very exciting. I had the honour of working towards women’s empowerment in sport and in society as whole under Vision 2030, and the leadership of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the tremendous positive impact of sport for women and girls. I look forward to the Olympic Esports Games as an opportunity for more female participation from across the globe in a safe and inclusive space.”   

President Bach said: “The Women’s Committee under the leadership of IOC Member Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud was essential in advancing women’s sport in Saudi Arabia. They worked closely with the NOC of Saudi Arabia to achieve this progress. Having their support to advance female participation also in esports is a valuable commitment. We are looking forward to our cooperation.”

Following today’s announcement, and the decision which will be taken by the IOC Session, work will begin on selecting a city and venue for the inaugural edition of the Olympic Esports Games, the specific timing of the event, the titles to be included, the qualification process for the players and further details.

The IOC has already emphasised that International Federations already engaged in an e-version of their sport that is considered for inclusion in the Olympic Esports Games will be the IOC’s first go-to partners. The same will be true for National Olympic Committees that already include esports in their activities.

At the same time, the IOC will have to create a new dedicated structure within its organisation, clearly separated from the organisational and financial model for the Olympic Games. In order to address the specific nature of the Olympic Esports Games, the IOC will also have to take a different approach with regard to the financing and organisation of these Games.