The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that it has partnered with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia to host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games 2025 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This groundbreaking step follows the IOC’s recent announcement that the IOC Executive Board (EB) has established Olympic Esports Games. The proposal will be made to the IOC Session, which will be held on the eve of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
The duration of the partnership between the IOC and the Saudi NOC will be 12 years, with Olympic Esports Games held regularly.
“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,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “By partnering with the Saudi NOC we have also ensured that the Olympic values are respected, in particular, with regard to the game titles on the programme, the promotion of gender equality and engagement with the young audience, which is embracing esports.”
HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic and Paralympic Committee, said: “Saudi Arabia is hugely excited by the prospect of partnering with the IOC and helping to welcome a completely new era for international sport. We believe that to take part in the Olympic Games is one of the greatest honours any athlete can achieve. And we are proud to support the writing of a new chapter in Olympic history that has the potential to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world.
“As a ‘first’ ever Esports Olympic Games, obviously there is still much to consider and plan with the IOC, but we are committed to hosting a special event that respects and celebrates the Olympic values while boldly seizing the momentum to drive esports forward with the international platform the sport and its athletes deserve. The world will have an open invitation to join us in 2025 and celebrate this moment together.“
“We are a youthful nation, with over 23 million gamers, embracing the future with new thinking and partnerships. Supported by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, our Kingdom has become a global hub for professional esports. Hosting this event is the result of a rich past, an exciting present and a promising future for the industry in the Kingdom. This is a natural next step for our young athletes, our country and the global esports community.”
The partnership comes at a time of significant growth of sport overall in Saudi Arabia, and is driven by the country’s social and economic transformation under Vision 2030. Since 2018, the Kingdom has been entrusted with delivering some of the biggest global sports events, staging over 100 international events for both male and female athletes, including esports, football, motorsports, tennis, equestrian and golf, attracting over 2.6 million sports fans.
