PARIS: The International Olympic Committee announced on Tuesday that the first edition of the Olympic Esports Games will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2025.
The international Olympic body unanimously endorsed the proposal by the executive board during the 142nd IOC Session in Paris.
The Saudi Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said: “Thanks to Vision 2030, introduced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, esports in Saudi Arabia already have a rich past, an exciting present and a promising future.
“And the reason why, is the same reason why we are investing across all sports — our young people. Our commitment to esports is simply a reflection of the world our young people live in, and we now all have the chance to write new Olympic history together: The chance to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world.”
Saudis believe that taking part in the Olympics is the ultimate honor for any athlete, he said, adding: “That is why we are committed to providing the ultimate platform for new heroes to perform, and for the Olympic spirit to be shared.
“Together we all share the prospect of instilling Olympic values in new and innovative ways. And we look forward to welcoming the global esports community to the Kingdom in 2025.”
IOC President Thomas Bach said: “This is truly a new era for the IOC. With the confirmation by the IOC Session of the creation of the Olympic Esports Games, we are keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution.
“The esports community, represented in our Esports Commission, has enthusiastically engaged with this initiative. This is further proof of the attractivity of the Olympic brand and the values it stands for among young people.”
He stressed that the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia will bring great, if not unique, experience in the field of esports to the project.
He said: “This partnership is based on the Olympic Charter and the Olympic values.”
The IOC has been engaging with esports since 2018 in a holistic way. This culminated in the organization of the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in 2023. The IOC president then asked the IOC Esports Commission at the 141st IOC Session in India, in October 2023, to look into the creation of the Olympic Esports Games.
The commission, under the leadership of IOC member David Lappartient, devised a project which addressed the interests of the esports community while respecting Olympic values.
IOC member Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, who is also a member of the board of directors of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and president of the Women’s Committee, said: “We have been at the very heart of the esports industry for many years.
“We see that hosting the Olympic Esports Games in 2025 is a natural next step in our journey of opening up Saudi Arabia to the world, and the world to Saudi.”
Prince Abdulaziz and Princess Reema presented the project together to the IOC session.
In the last two years, through major international tournaments, including the inaugural Esports World Cup, Saudi Arabia has hosted over 1,700 elite players from more than 80 countries.
Further underlining its hosting credentials, esports events in Saudi Arabia have welcomed nearly 4 million fans to enjoy the live experience in the Kingdom, with a further 1.3 billion views from across the globe on a variety of streaming platforms.
Work will now begin on selecting a city and venue for the Olympic Esports Games, with the timing of the event, the titles to be included, the qualification process for the players, and further details to be analyzed.
The IOC will also create a new dedicated structure within its organization, clearly separated from the organizational and financial model for the Olympic Games.
In order to address the specific nature of the Olympic Esports Games, the IOC will also take a different approach with regard to the financing and organization of the event.
The IOC has emphasized that international federations already engaged in an e-version of their sport, that is considered for inclusion in the Olympic Esports Games, will be its first go-to partners.
The same will be true for National Olympic Committees that already include esports in their activities.