The presence of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the closing ceremony of the third Esports World Cup in Paris was more than a show of support for a major global sporting event or a celebration of competitive achievement. It marked the culmination of an ambitious journey that began with regulating the sector, building institutions and developing talent, before expanding into acquisitions, investments and major international tournaments and ultimately exporting a Saudi-born product to one of Europe’s most prominent capitals.It is the story of Saudi Arabia’s transition from consuming games to investing in their creation, and from hosting competitions to helping shape the future of the global gaming and esports industry.The institutional foundations of that journey were laid in 2017 with the establishment of the Saudi Esports Federation, tasked with organizing the sector, identifying talent and building a professional ecosystem.The project entered a new phase in 2021 when the Public Investment Fund established Savvy Games Group. Through acquisitions, investments and partnerships, Savvy set out to build an influential position across the global gaming value chain, spanning game development and publishing, esports, digital platforms and related businesses.The launch of the National Gaming and Esports Strategy in 2022 provided the broader framework for these ambitions. Crucially, the strategy does not treat gaming as an isolated form of entertainment. It recognizes an industry at the intersection of technology, culture, creativity, media, tourism and education, with the goal of transforming Saudi Arabia into a global hub for gaming and esports by 2030, powered by Saudi talent.That ambition makes clear that the Kingdom’s bet extends far beyond staging tournaments with record prize pools.At stake is the creation of a new economy capable of generating jobs in programming, game design, animation, storytelling, broadcasting, production, marketing, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. It also creates opportunities for startups, attracts international studios and expertise, and provides a foundation for developing Saudi intellectual property with the potential to reach global markets.Another defining moment came in October 2023, when the Crown Prince announced the launch of the Esports World Cup and the establishment of the foundation behind it, describing the tournament as the “natural next step” in Saudi Arabia’s journey to become the world’s premier hub for gaming and esports.The inaugural edition was staged in Riyadh in 2024 and consolidated its global standing the following year. In 2026, the competition moved to Paris for its first edition outside the Kingdom.In just three years, a Saudi initiative had evolved into an international platform bringing together the world’s leading players, clubs, publishers, sponsors and media organizations.This direction reflects an early recognition of the profound changes reshaping the digital economy. Saudi Arabia enters this market with a significant advantage: around 23.5 million gamers, representing roughly two-thirds of the population. That is not simply a large consumer market. It is a vast potential pool of developers, content creators, professional players, entrepreneurs and innovators.Paris offered a practical demonstration of how far the project has progressed, building on the success of the previous two editions in Riyadh. More than 2,000 male and female players representing over 200 clubs and more than 100 countries competed across 25 tournaments featuring 24 games, with a total prize pool of $75 million.China’s AG.AL claimed the Club Championship title, while Saudi Arabia’s Team Falcons finished second after winning the title in both 2024 and 2025. The result illustrated an important dimension of the Saudi approach: the Kingdom is not only building the global stage on which esports is played, but also developing national organizations capable of competing at the highest level.Yet the economic value of the Esports World Cup cannot be measured solely through prize money or tournament results.A competition of this scale sits at the center of a much broader ecosystem. It stimulates tourism, aviation, hospitality, media, advertising and technology, while attracting international companies, investment and expertise. Each major tournament creates commercial activity around the event itself, but its more enduring value lies in the capabilities and industries that remain after the final match has been played.The deeper investment, therefore, is in transforming young people from consumers of games into developers, producers and innovators. As the Crown Prince has emphasized, the energy and creativity of Saudi youth and gaming enthusiasts are at the heart of the national strategy.The next stage should be even more ambitious.Saudi Arabia has already demonstrated its ability to invest in major global gaming assets, build competitive esports organizations and create international events. The longer-term opportunity is to translate that position into globally competitive Saudi games — titles built by local talent, carrying stories and characters inspired by Saudi culture, and capable of generating sustained returns through sales, licensing, content and intellectual property.That is where the industry’s greatest long-term value may ultimately lie. Owning successful intellectual property means creating an asset that can travel across borders, platforms and generations.Seen through that lens, the journey from Riyadh to Paris represents far more than the relocation of a tournament from one city to another.It is the globalization of a Saudi idea and an expression of a broader economic philosophy: transforming passion into knowledge, knowledge into industry, and industry into sustainable economic value.The presence of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman at the closing ceremony of the third Esports World Cup in Paris was more than a show of support for a major global sporting event or a celebration of competitive achievement. It marked the culmination of an ambitious journey that began with regulating the sector, building institutions and developing talent, before expanding into acquisitions, investments and major international tournaments and ultimately exporting a Saudi-born product to one of Europe’s most prominent capitals.It is the story of Saudi Arabia’s transition from consuming games to investing in their creation, and from hosting competitions to helping shape the future of the global gaming and esports industry.The institutional foundations of that journey were laid in 2017 with the establishment of the Saudi Esports Federation, tasked with organizing the sector, identifying talent and building a professional ecosystem.The project entered a new phase in 2021 when the Public Investment Fund established Savvy Games Group. Through acquisitions, investments and partnerships, Savvy set out to build an influential position across the global gaming value chain, spanning game development and publishing, esports, digital platforms and related businesses.The launch of the National Gaming and Esports Strategy in 2022 provided the broader framework for these ambitions. Crucially, the strategy does not treat gaming as an isolated form of entertainment. It recognizes an industry at the intersection of technology, culture, creativity, media, tourism and education, with the goal of transforming Saudi Arabia into a global hub for gaming and esports by 2030, powered by Saudi talent.That ambition makes clear that the Kingdom’s bet extends far beyond staging tournaments with record prize pools.At stake is the creation of a new economy capable of generating jobs in programming, game design, animation, storytelling, broadcasting, production, marketing, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. It also creates opportunities for startups, attracts international studios and expertise, and provides a foundation for developing Saudi intellectual property with the potential to reach global markets.Another defining moment came in October 2023, when the Crown Prince announced the launch of the Esports World Cup and the establishment of the foundation behind it, describing the tournament as the “natural next step” in Saudi Arabia’s journey to become the world’s premier hub for gaming and esports.The inaugural edition was staged in Riyadh in 2024 and consolidated its global standing the following year. In 2026, the competition moved to Paris for its first edition outside the Kingdom.In just three years, a Saudi initiative had evolved into an international platform bringing together the world’s leading players, clubs, publishers, sponsors and media organizations.This direction reflects an early recognition of the profound changes reshaping the digital economy. Saudi Arabia enters this market with a significant advantage: around 23.5 million gamers, representing roughly two-thirds of the population. That is not simply a large consumer market. It is a vast potential pool of developers, content creators, professional players, entrepreneurs and innovators.Paris offered a practical demonstration of how far the project has progressed, building on the success of the previous two editions in Riyadh. More than 2,000 male and female players representing over 200 clubs and more than 100 countries competed across 25 tournaments featuring 24 games, with a total prize pool of $75 million.China’s AG.AL claimed the Club Championship title, while Saudi Arabia’s Team Falcons finished second after winning the title in both 2024 and 2025. The result illustrated an important dimension of the Saudi approach: the Kingdom is not only building the global stage on which esports is played, but also developing national organizations capable of competing at the highest level.Yet the economic value of the Esports World Cup cannot be measured solely through prize money or tournament results.A competition of this scale sits at the center of a much broader ecosystem. It stimulates tourism, aviation, hospitality, media, advertising and technology, while attracting international companies, investment and expertise. Each major tournament creates commercial activity around the event itself, but its more enduring value lies in the capabilities and industries that remain after the final match has been played.The deeper investment, therefore, is in transforming young people from consumers of games into developers, producers and innovators. As the Crown Prince has emphasized, the energy and creativity of Saudi youth and gaming enthusiasts are at the heart of the national strategy.The next stage should be even more ambitious.Saudi Arabia has already demonstrated its ability to invest in major global gaming assets, build competitive esports organizations and create international events. The longer-term opportunity is to translate that position into globally competitive Saudi games — titles built by local talent, carrying stories and characters inspired by Saudi culture, and capable of generating sustained returns through sales, licensing, content and intellectual property.That is where the industry’s greatest long-term value may ultimately lie. Owning successful intellectual property means creating an asset that can travel across borders, platforms and generations.Seen through that lens, the journey from Riyadh to Paris represents far more than the relocation of a tournament from one city to another.It is the globalization of a Saudi idea and an expression of a broader economic philosophy: transforming passion into knowledge, knowledge into industry, and industry into sustainable economic value.
From Riyadh to Paris: Saudi Arabia’s esports journey goes global
