By Sagar V. Mankar Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) hosting a significant conference on the final two days of the Esports World Cup.
The New Global Sports Conference 2024 (NGSC24), scheduled for August 24-25 at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh At Kingdom Centre, will bring together leaders and innovators from various industries, including sports, esports, gaming, entertainment, and technology.
Themed “The Future of Fandom,” NGSC24 will merge the Next World Forum series and NGSC23 into one unified event.
This year’s conference promises to be a crucial gathering, featuring 60 speakers and over 750 delegates who will discuss how gaming and sports can serve as Saudi Arabia’s gateway to the world.
A key highlight of the event will be the panel discussion titled “Game On, Saudi Arabia.” This session will feature:
- Abdullah Al-Swaha, the Kingdom’s minister of communications and information technology
- Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation
- Brian Ward, CEO of Savvy Games Group
- Arnold Hur, CEO of Gen.G Esports
- Mike Milanov, Chairman of the Advisory Board for Gaming and Esports at Qiddiya
The panel will delve into how gaming and esports align with Saudi Arabia’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy, to establish the Kingdom as a global hub in this sector by 2030.
Prince Faisal highlighted the transformative impact of gaming and esports on Saudi Arabia’s economic, social, and cultural landscape. He stated,
“With Saudi Arabia opening its doors to the world, gaming and esports have been at the forefront of this transformation, turning the Kingdom into a dynamic hub of creativity and engagement. ‘Game On, Saudi Arabia’ at the New Global Sport Conference will explore how we’ve achieved this and what steps we’ll take next to ensure our journey aligns with the National Gaming and Esports Strategy. Our aim is to become a global hub for gaming and esports, contribute significantly to its development, and shape its future on a global scale.”
Brian Ward echoed these sentiments, saying,
“The conference comes at an ideal time, concluding the Esports World Cup and serving as a platform to discuss Saudi Arabia’s future in games and esports,” he said.
How Big Are Saudi Arabia’s Gaming Investments?
According to various estimates, 67% to 90% of Saudi Arabia’s 35 million population are gamers. Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself is an avid gamer and has been a strong advocate for heavy investment in the gaming sector.
Through its Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Savvy Group, Saudi Arabia has made significant investments in the esports and gaming sectors in recent times.
- In 2021, Savvy Games Group acquired shares of Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive, and Activision Blizzard.
- In May 2022, they invested $1 billion to acquire an 8% stake in Embracer Group and a 5% stake in Nintendo.
- They increased their ownership of SNK, the developer behind King of Fighters, to 96%.
- In 2023, they acquired Scopely, a leading game publisher and developer, best known for the billion-dollar mobile game Monopoly Go!.
- Savvy Games Group also acquired and merged two of the world’s largest esports organizers, ESL and FACEIT, in 2022.
- They also invested in VSPO, a major Chinese esports company specializing in event organization and production.
Furthermore, on September 29, 2022, Savvy announced plans to invest $37.8 billion in the video game industry, allocating $13.3 billion for acquiring and expanding prominent developers and publishers to position Saudi Arabia as a global gaming hub by 2030.
Saudi Arabia is making history as the first country to host the Esports World Cup and is set to host the inaugural Esports Olympics next year.
However, despite these substantial investments, Saudi Arabia continues to face criticism over its human rights record, particularly regarding women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. Critics argue that these efforts may be part of a broader “sportswashing” agenda, aimed at diverting attention from the country’s controversial policies by showcasing its achievements in esports and gaming.