New game, new MVP: Saudi Arabia blurs the lines between gaming and traditional sports

Arab News

20 hours ago

RIYADH: As the global spotlight turns to Riyadh for the 2025 New Global Sports Conference, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, president of the Saudi Esports Federation, sat down with Arab News for an exclusive interview outlining how the Kingdom is rapidly shaping the future of gaming, esports and traditional sports.
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Held alongside the largest esports tournament on the planet, the Esports World Cup, NGSC 2025 — which Arab News is an official media partner of — is more than a high-profile gathering; it is a strategic inflection point for an industry undergoing unprecedented transformation.
AI, athlete well-being and education: The three pillars of evolution
According to Prince Faisal, the evolution of the global esports landscape is being driven by three transformative forces: AI integration, the professionalization of esports athletes and the fusion of gaming with education.
'We've seen that in traditional sports, and we're seeing it now in esports, where instead of the team spending so much time breaking down the data, that data can be broken down by AI very quickly,' he said. '(Now), they can spend more time working with the team and adjusting, and doing different things.'
Equally important is the growing focus on holistic player care. Esports athletes today are increasingly supported like their traditional sports counterparts — with attention to physical health, mental well-being and career sustainability.
He added that support infrastructure is already visible at the EWC: 'We are seeing physiotherapists, psychologists and support staff built around teams — not just for performance, but for longevity.'
Esports teams and leagues are focused on building athletes, not just gamers, Prince Faisal said.
Education, too, is becoming a cornerstone. Saudi Arabia is rolling out esports programs across schools and universities, including initiatives like DigiPen at King Saud University and game art programs at Princess Nourah University.
'You see games like Fortnite being used as a tool for game development and education, where they're simplifying the idea of coding by playing the game and building within the game,' Prince Faisal said. 'Minecraft is another example of that.'
A rising global capital for gaming and esports
With more than 2.6 million visitors last year and a $70 million prize pool, the Esports World Cup is a landmark achievement for Saudi Arabia's national gaming and esports strategy. But Prince Faisal said that events like NGSC 2025 are part of a larger vision: Positioning Riyadh as the premier global hub for the gaming and sports industries.
He said that the Saudi capital is hosting the world's largest esports tournament while also bringing in top CEOs from gaming, as well as global sports legends like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gianni Infantino.
Saudi Arabia's location between East and West is more than geographic — it is symbolic, said Prince Faisal, adding that the Kingdom is becoming a meeting point where ideas, cultures and industries converge.
'I think 70 percent of the world is within an eight-hour flight from Saudi — (we are) using that positioning not just geographically, but also politically, to say we are a central area where everyone can come in,' he said.
This convergence is particularly visible at NGSC, where boundaries between gaming, traditional sports and entertainment are intentionally blurred.
Actors like David Harbour and athletes like Nick Kyrgios are part of this world now, Prince Faisal said. You will also see influencers, film stars and esports players in the same room — because at the heart of it, these are all forms of human connection and passion.
From launchpad to legacy: Driving cross-sector innovation
Beyond spectacle, NGSC and the Esports World Cup are laying the foundation for long-term collaboration. Prince Faisal sees the events as launchpads for investment, cross-sector partnerships and grassroots development.
'There are a lot of introductions that were made last year at NGSC that are coming to fruition this year,' he said. 'So, you're going to see some memoranda of understanding signed, some announcements made, whether it be funds or whether it be different investments or different things that are happening not just in Saudi Arabia, MENA-wide, but also international.'
A major emphasis is on Saudi youth. New partnerships with the Ministry of Education will expand esports leagues and curricula nationwide. The Saudi Sports Academy and university programs aim to create a talent pipeline not only for esports athletes, but also for game developers, analysts, marketers and entrepreneurs.
Prince Faisal said that the ambition to create a sustainable industry lies at the heart of the federation's work.
Shaping the narrative, inspiring a generation
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of this new esports frontier is its cultural resonance. Prince Faisal shared the story of an 11-year-old chess prodigy who met Magnus Carlsen at the Esports World Cup — a moment he described as emblematic of Saudi Arabia's ambition.
'When you talk about the next generation, this is a young boy who knows the moves. He was arguing with the players, saying 'you opened up with this,' and 'you should have done this more often,' and 'you use this your whole career,' and it was so much fun to see.'
That young boy walked away inspired and determined to carve his own path in the world of chess, Prince Faisal said, adding that the federation hopes to build that kind of inspiration across gaming, chess, esports — whatever the field.
By 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to be top of mind for anyone pursuing a career in gaming or esports — on par with the traditional tech or sports capitals of the world.
Prince Faisal said that he wants people to come to the Kingdom not just for oil or finance, but because this is where esports lives. And more than that, he wants to help esports athletes reach the same iconic status as traditional sports legends.
'If we can help position an esports athlete to be in a similar position to someone like Michael Jordan in the NBA, where he transcended basketball, and he has sneakers that have become a cultural icon.
'When we have an esports athlete that has something outside of esports that transcends esports (like Jordan did for basketball), that's where esports will have made it for me at the same level as a traditional sport.'
Looking ahead
From its rapid infrastructure buildout to its human-centric investments, Saudi Arabia's gaming and esports vision is bold, inclusive and forward-looking. With NGSC 2025 and the Esports World Cup as its flagship platforms, the Kingdom is not merely taking part in the global esports boom — it is helping define what comes next.
'Having all of these people be a part of what we do at the NGSC and the EWC is a showcase that at our core, all of these different activities come down to people,' Prince Faisal said. 'That's what blurs the boundaries between traditional sports, esports and entertainment.'