Saudi Arabia is fast becoming a powerhouse in global gaming. The Esports World Cup 2025 featuring a record-breaking $70 million prize pool and 24 official game titles underscores this shift from niche to mainstream gaming prominence. Under Vision 2030 and the National Gaming and Esports Strategy, the Kingdom’s gaming and esports sector is expected to contribute $13.3 billion to GDP and generate more than 39,000 jobs by 2030. With 21 million gamers across the country and $1.1 billion in annual revenue, the groundwork for a thriving, sustainable digital economy is already taking shape.
But sustaining this growth requires more than investment and infrastructure. It requires building meaningful ecosystems where creators, communities, and intellectual property thrive together. That’s the shared focus of Bigo Live and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, who are working together to define the next chapter of esports in the region.
Bigo Live and MLBB have partnered on multiple successful events, including livestreaming the M6 World Championship and the MPL MENA 2025. The M6 event drew more than 4.13 million peak viewers globally, with an average of 709,000 viewers across 120 hours of live broadcast, making it one of MLBB’s most-watched tournaments to date.
The collaboration is now evolving into something more ambitious: a blueprint for hybrid esports experiences. These new formats combine physical and virtual elements, such as pro-player and streamer crossover leagues, offline community events, and gamified, storyline-driven tournaments designed to engage audiences across platforms and locations.
Bigo Live has reported a 19.05 percent month-on-month increase in new gaming users in MENA, indicating strong regional resonance with its esports programming.
Crucially, Bigo Live’s esports strategy is anchored in a framework of creator enablement: supporting streamers with tools, infrastructure, and monetization options that make esports a sustainable path. Its three-tier approach (Support, Belonging, and Appreciation) aligns with Vision 2030’s goals of digital transformation and cultural enrichment.
