Saudi Arabia To Host Inaugural Olympic Esports Games In 2025

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the inaugural Olympic Esports Games 2025 will be held in Saudi Arabia. The IOC has partnered with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia to hold the event. The IOC's move indicates a significant shift in the recognition of gaming as a legitimate sport.

The partnership between the IOC and the Saudi NOC is set to run for 12 years, with Olympic Esports Games held regularly. Earlier in June, the Executive Board of the IOC proposed the creation of the Olympic Esports Games. The proposal will be made to the IOC session, which will be held on the eve of the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

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📝| اللجنة الأولمبية الدولية تُعلن اختيار المملكة العربية السعودية لاستضافة النسخة الأولى والتاريخية من دورة الألعاب الأولمبية للرياضات الإلكترونية 🎮 🇸🇦​

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— اللجنة الأولمبية والبارالمبية السعودية 🇸🇦 (@saudiolympic) July 12, 2024

“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,” IOC President Tomas Bach said in a statement. It is to be noted that the partnership between Saudi NOC and IOC comes at a time of significant growth of sport overall in the country and is driven by Saudi Arabia's social and economic transformation under Vision 2030. Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Saudi Arabia's sports minister, said in the statement that the country “has become a global hub for professional esports.”