The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recently granted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) the opportunity to host the 2025 Esports World Championship which will be a breakthrough for the region and esports
This approval is a great milestone for KSA, which has been keen on creating a favorable environment for esports investments to position the country as a gaming and digital content hub. Such an event will also demonstrate Saudi Arabia’s seriousness towards the esports industry and its ability to organize major international events
After the IOC endorses the KSA 2025 Esports World Championship, social acceptance and respect for esports are set to start. Thus, affiliation with Olympic ideals grants esports legitimacy and a distinguished playing field, thus gradually eradicating the gap between conventional sports and video games. This recognition also goes a long way in ensuring that esports athletes get recognition for their skills, the commitment and hard work exhibited by them, and the level of athletic ability that ‘esports’ demands
Openness to Aspirations of Hosting the 2025 Esports World Championship is thought to inject significant economic value into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The international players, teams, fans, and media to be used by the local teams will in turn transact with local businesses such as hotels, restaurants, transporters, etc. This event could be a good chance for Saudi Arabia to be in a position to reveal its culture and adopt new technologies.
These additional competitive recommendations also assist expand the audience of esports globally since approved by the IOC. Having such a large event in Saudi Arabia can help bring in new fans from around the world, and increase the appreciation for esports. This in turn can lead to higher stakes and sponsorship with more prospects for the players as well as companies that operate within that industry.
The approval given by the IOC to the KSA 2025 Esports World Championship is historical to esports and Saudi Arabia. Because of it, the cultural paradigm that previously did not allow competitive gaming to become the mainstream of sports merges in front of new possibilities which will open more opportunities for athletes, develop the local economy, and introduce the core of the competitive gaming industry to marginalized people.