Saudi Arabia to host first Esports Olympics in 2025

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural Olympics Esports Games in 2025, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Saturday.

According to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the IOC said the partnership with the Saudi National Olympic Committee would be 12 years.

The agreement is an extension of the series of various global tournaments that Saudi Arabia has recently succeeded in hosting, and an affirmation of its leadership position as a global hub for e-sports.

In a statement, the IOC clarified that its executive office has forwarded its approval to establish the Olympic Games for e-sports in Saudi Arabia to the 143rd session of the IOC, scheduled to be held in the French capital, Paris, on the sidelines of the Summer Olympic Games.

More information about the event is expected to come out following the meeting.
In remarks on the occasion, Minister of Sports and SOPC Chairman Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal attributed the development to the unprecedented support that sports in the Kingdom enjoys from the leadership of this great nation, and the continuous support and follow-up by HRH the Crown Prince, which has enabled the sports authorities to proceed with hosting such international events.

For her part, Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, member of the IOC, member of the Board of Directors of the SOPC and Chair of the Women’s Sports Committee, also paid tribute to the generous support provided by the wise Saudi leadership for the sports sector in general and e-sports in particular, which has witnessed unprecedented development.

She described the partnership between OIC and the SOPC as a historic step enabling Olympic sports to move to a new stage.

In comments on the occasion, IOC president Dr. Thomas Bach expressed his happiness in partnering with the SOPC to host the Olympic Games for e-sports due to the Kingdom’s wonderful, even unparalleled, expertise in the field of e-sports.

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