Saudi Arabia has been known to drag its heels in the past when it comes to reforms. However, one area where they are pushing full steam ahead is eSports, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman safely at the helm.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman is a progressive thinker and an avid gamer himself.  He is confident that The Savvy Gaming Group, a government-backed gaming company, will have a positive impact on the nation’s economy. The conglomerate is investing $37.8 billion to turn the kingdom into an eSports and gaming hub by 2030, a move that will generate an additional $13 billion in economic growth. In order to provide training, education, and entrepreneurial opportunities, Savvy will invest in a number of local and international initiatives and infrastructure. In addition, they hope to entice around 250 game firms to the area, which they estimate will lead to the creation of 39,000 jobs. 

The Big Economic Impact on eSports in the Middle East

The Saudi government has been actively investing in some of the most prominent gaming companies out there, including Take-Two, Activision, EA, and Nintendo, to name just a few. The Savvy Gaming Group is working hard to succeed and has already paid an astounding  $1.5 billion to acquire the major eSports companies Faceit and ESL. These companies run the most influential professional video gaming leagues and competitions in the world, considerably boosting Saudi Arabia’s stake in competitive video gaming. 

However, The Savvy Gaming Group does not just want to cannibalize existing capital and assets, they also want to also to be trailblazers. One of the company’s goals is to establish eSports organizations and studios in the Middle East that will create content, events, and tournaments suitable for a worldwide audience, permanently altering the region’s character.

On July 14th, the Gamers8 festival was held in Riyadh over an eight-week period,  it featured eSport contests such as Rocket League, Rainbow Six: Siege, Dota 2, PUBG Mobile, and Fortnite. The Saudi eSports Federation hosted the event, and sponsors included Mastercard, SAVVY Gaming Group, ESL FACEIT Group, Spotify, and Aramco. At the numerous tournaments, a record-breaking total of  $15,000,000 in prize money is up for grabs. There were an incredible 1.6 million Hours watched during the contests, with an average of 71,000 Viewers. In addition, thousands wagered on the outcome of the tournament at some of the best eSport betting sites.

The Rise of the Middle East eSports Gamer – A Kingly Origin

With the government’s backing under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, eSports are growing in popularity. Although playing video games has long been common in the nation, players have never really had a method to express themselves, gather together to watch events, or even compete with one another. This is currently evolving quickly.

Energizing the local eSports ecosystem is definitely a great way to get more people to get involved with eSports or remove any remaining stigma associated with this sport. Saudi Arabia seems to have enough grassroots fans who are eager to learn more about eSports, which could be even more important than simply investing money in competitive video gaming. With money, there is always the risk of spending too hastily, and that is why Prince bin Salman will do very well to prioritize working with companies that have an established and proven record in building a sustainable long-term eSports ecosystem.

Riot Games comes to mind.  The publisher-turned-developer was adamant that it would concentrate on organic growth when it released Legends of Runeterra, Valorant, and a host of other League of Legends spin-off games. This indicates that Riot Games is not interested in generating excitement for its goods and events if those things depend simply on the cash the company invests in prize pools. There is a very vibrant grassroots community that supports each of Riot Games’ games. eSports was not borne out of money, but out of people’s desire to compete and prove themselves in a video game. Many teenagers mastered games as a hobby, and they were eager to show off. Soon, there were so many people that became exceptional in their performance of gaming and that is precisely why eSports became possible.

eSports have progressed toward becoming a more enduring phenomenon and fixture, of course, thanks in large part to the investors’ continued interest. To acquire a piece of the eSports pie, publishers, well-known brands like automakers and beverage companies, and fast food chains have all started to surge in.

Given that they have a lot of discretionary income and are likely to be savvy consumers over the next 20 years, young people in the eSports market are a desirable audience. This is something that Prince bin Salman is well aware of, and he wants to ensure that Saudi Arabia plays a key role in it.

Conclusion

The prince’s success will depend on a number of grandiose projects he has proposed, some of which have already cost billions of dollars yet have made little progress at all. But when it comes to eSports, the Prince might have made a wise choice because he has the support of the kingdom’s youth, and that will undoubtedly lead to success.

eSports is a massive, expanding sector and is gaining in popularity. It is now even featured in the sports schedule of some important events. As part of the postponed Hangzhou Games of  2022, it will debut as a medal sport at the Asian Games for the first time next year.