Esports is the future of mainstream sports, says SEF chairman

RIYADH: Esports is emerging as “the mainstream sport of the future,” reflecting Saudi Arabia’s ambition to position itself as a global hub for the industry, according to a top official. 

Speaking during a panel at the Future Investment Initiative, Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al-Saud, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, emphasized the rapid growth of esports, noting that younger generations view gaming as an integral part of their lives, engaging as players, viewers, professionals, and coaches.  

“They’ve known esports from birth,” he said, contrasting their experience with that of older generations.   

Prince Faisal further added that esports and traditional sports are getting “closer in spirit, in viewership, in participation, and in values.”

He stated that innovations in esports will soon become reality like the Olympics Esports Games.  

“When we talk about hours watched, you’re referring to over 100 million hours for the NFL (National Football League) and 50 million hours for the Olympics. In our recent event at the here in the Esports World Cup, we had 111 million hours watched, not including China. If you include China, that adds another 140 million hours, bringing the total to 250 million hours,” he said. 

Prince Faisal emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s strategy to become a global leader in gaming involves fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors, setting measurable goals, and uniting all stakeholders under a shared national vision.   

“We want Saudi Arabia to be a natural part of the conversation,” he said, referring to established esports centers like Japan, South Korea, and the US. “When you think about a career path in this industry, you think about coming to Saudi as much as you think about going to any of those other countries.”  

According to him, the most important aspect of their efforts was launching a gaming and esports authority that would encompass the national strategy for gaming and esports. 

The Kingdom’s strategy includes creating a supportive regulatory environment, establishing key performance indicators to guide progress, and bringing all entities together under “Team Saudi.”   

This unified approach, according to Prince Faisal, will pave the way for Saudi Arabia to become a significant player in the global gaming landscape and make it a destination for talent and innovation in esports.