IOC Announces Olympic Esports Games To Be Hosted In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia

As a result, sport has become a growing part of everyday life in Saudi Arabia at every level, from amateur to elite. Overall sports participation levels have more than tripled since 2015 to almost 50 per cent of the country’s population. The number of sports federations has also increased threefold during this time, from 32 to 98, with the Saudi Esports Federation being one example of the growth underway. As many as 67 per cent of the Saudi population consider themselves to be gamers, with an ever-increasing number, currently 100, of pro esports players pursuing full-time careers.

Rapid growth in women’s sport

Women’s sport in particular has witnessed rapid growth, and almost half of the Kingdom’s 23 million gamers are female. There are now also over 330,000 registered female athletes and nearly 40 women’s national teams competing internationally. Grassroots sport is flourishing, too, with sport firmly part of the school curriculum for all girls, as demonstrated by the 70,000 schoolgirls playing in the school football league each week. In addition to playing sport, reforms to regulations ensure there is female representation on the boards of all sports federations, with over 100 women now appointed, including seven female federation presidents. Additionally, all female and male athletes receive exactly the same level of pay when on national duty in their sport.