The kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games next year in a move that the Gulf a new home for competitive gaming sports.
According to SportsProMedia, the Gulf state has been handed hosting duties courtesy of a 12-year partnership between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia. The Olympic Esports Games will be held ‘regularly’ as part of the agreement.
“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.”
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.”
Work will now begin on selecting a city and venue for next year’s event. Dates, video game titles to be included and the qualification process for players will also be decided.
