7 days ago
Saudi Tourism on building brand Saudi at the Esports World Cup
Saudi, Welcome to Arabia – the destination brand of the Saudi Tourism Authority – has partnered with the Esports World Cup (EWC) to put the Kingdom's culture, heritage and tourism offering in front of a global gaming audience. Running from 7 July to 24 August, EWC brings together players, clubs and communities from more than 100 countries in Riyadh.
Campaign Middle East spoke to Abdullah Aldakhil, spokesperson for the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), at the event to understand how esports is shaping the Kingdom's brand story and its ambitions to engage younger audiences.
'If you look at Saudi today, around 70 per cent of the population is below 30, so we are enthusiasts for sports, all kinds of sports,' says Aldakhil. 'We view Saudi Arabia as a sports hub – the global hub for sports.'
From 2018's Formula E debut to hosting Formula 1, the Spanish and Italian Super Cups, and now the second consecutive EWC, Aldakhil says these events are designed to attract not only young fans but also families and international visitors. 'We expect this year's event to be even bigger than last year's, which hosted more than 3 million visitors,' he notes. 'With the concerts, boulevard activations, and everything happening on‑site, it's a great attraction.'
On the EWC show floor, STA is running a dedicated Saudi Tourism booth. Staff guide visitors through interactive displays and visual showcases of destinations across the Kingdom, from the Red Sea and Asir to Al‑Baha, Jeddah and Taif. The booth is part of a wider activation strategy to encourage esports fans – many of them first‑time visitors – to explore beyond Riyadh.
Previously, STA announced that its partnership with the EWC would feature curated cultural programming, combining high‑stakes competition with heritage experiences, anime cafés, retro arcades, cosplay, live music and more. The aim is to turn spectators into explorers.
For Aldakhil, esports offers a distinctive entry point for destination marketing. 'Having such global events in Saudi is a big push for brands to create their association with us,' he says. 'You see content creators, event enthusiasts, and even casual visitors coming from all across the world – over 100 nationalities participating this year. It's a testament to the belief they have in what's happening here.'
That belief is grounded in scale and visibility. Earlier in the day, event organisers announced that last year's EWC generated more than 7,000 hours of content in over 30 languages. For Aldakhil, that's a powerful showcase opportunity: 'We really care about broadcasting not just our gaming, but our identity and our culture to the rest of the world.'
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Saudi's play is not just about pulling in esports fans – it's about positioning the country as a natural venue for global events. 'In the last couple of years, content creators have had Saudi as one of their main destinations,' says Aldakhil. 'Since opening for tourism in 2019, we've been seeing people flying from all over the world to be here.'
The EWC is the latest proof point in that positioning. 'With their belief in us, more brands are coming, more collaborations are happening,' he says. 'And when they do come, they see it's not just about the tournament – it's about the experience, the hospitality, and discovering a hidden gem.'
