Known for its booming sports and gaming industry, Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2025 under an agreement that was announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Saudi National Olympic Committee (NOC). This is the latest addition to the kingdom’s sprawling portfolio of sports events.

“We are very fortunate to work with the Saudi National Olympic Committee on the Olympic Esports Games because it has great – if not unique – expertise in esports with all its stakeholders,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.

The IOC and the Saudi NOC partnership will last 12 years, and the Olympic Esports Games are expected to be held regularly throughout the agreement.

“We are a youthful nation, with over 23 million gamers, and our kingdom has become a global hub for professional esports. This is a natural next step for our young athletes, our country, and the global esports community,” Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, the Saudi Minister of Sport.

The agreement will be ratified at the IOC Session, which will be held on the eve of the Olympic Games in Paris. 

The IOC said it planned to launch the video gaming Olympics last month to attract and retain young fans and audiences. In a statement announcing the Saudi Arabia deal, the IOC said the agreement had “ensured that the Olympic values are respected”, emphasizing the “promotion of gender equality and engagement with the young audience, which is embracing esports”.

Last October, Saudi Arabia launched its annual Esports World Cup, which features the most popular games, such as Call of Duty and League of Legends, and has the largest prize pool in esports history.

The first edition of the annual competition, which features 1,500 gamers, is currently being held in Riyadh.

The kingdom will also host the 2027 Asian Cup in men’s football, the 2029 Asian Winter Games, which will take place in a ski resort specially built for them, and the multi-sport 2034 Asian Games in Riyadh.

Now accepting applications for Fast Company Middle East’s Most Innovative Companies. Click here to apply.