Saudi’s e-Sporting & Gaming Dominance

Saudi Arabia has placed gaming and eSports at the center of its Vision 2030 economic transformation plan, aiming to become a global powerhouse in digital entertainment. According to IMARC Research, the Saudi gaming market was valued at US $2.19 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach US $4.74 billion by 2033, growing at a robust CAGR of 8.9%. 

The Kingdom’s extraordinary emphasis on eSports stems from its massive investments—over US $38 billion—channeled through the Public Investment Fund’s Savvy Games Group. PwC estimates eSports alone will contribute US $13.3 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP by 2030, creating more than 39,000 new jobs. With a population where 67% are gamers— about 23 million people—Saudi Arabia is primed to lead not just the region, but the global eSports industry. High-speed internet, advanced gaming infrastructure, and a youth-driven culture make the Kingdom an eSports titan in the making

Gaming Culture in the Kingdom 

Gaming and eSports have gained Saudi cultural traction, with increasing participation from both genders, reflecting a shift towards more inclusive and diverse entertainment forms. The Kingdom is now home to over 23 million gaming enthusiasts, which accounts for 67% of its population! The eSports audience in Saudi Arabia has significant participation from both male and female gamers motivated to play as a means of socializing, making friends, escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and, of course, competition. This inclusive community, where 42% of gamers are female, reflects a broader acceptance of gaming as mainstream entertainment. Saudi gamers are also quite willing to spend on their passion, with over 12% considered big spenders on gaming products, further contributing to the industry’s growth. 

Meet the Saudi ESports Federation (SEF)

Established in 2017, the Saudi ESports Federation (SEF) plays a central role in building a thriving eSports ecosystem. Through initiatives like the Saudi eLeague—which features 18 game titles, 2,328 clubs, and over 10,700 players—SEF nurtures competitive excellence from grassroots to professional levels.

The Federation also launched the Saudi ESports Academy, offering specialized courses to develop skills not only in gaming but also in fields like digital cooperation and strategic thinking.

Internationally, the SEF has partnered with the Japanese ESports Union and British ESports Federation, and is closely collaborating with Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya Investment Company to drive cultural exchange and talent development. These collaborations are about more than just playing games— they’re creating opportunities for cultural exchanges, developing talent, and boosting Saudi’s global profile in the eSports world. 

Saudi Gamers Make Global Impact 

Saudi Arabia is making headlines worldwide by hosting some of the largest eSports events in history: 

• Gamers8 Festival: Launched in 2022, Gamers8 became the world’s largest annual eSports festival in 2023, boasting a record US $45 million prize pool. 
• ESports World Cup 2024: Personally inaugurated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, this mega-event hosted competitions across 23 different games, offering a record US $62 million prize pool—the largest in eSports history. 
• Saudi Arabia is set to up the ante even further with the ESports World Cup 2025, scheduled from July 7 to August 24 in Riyadh. With a confirmed US $70 million prize pool — the biggest ever announced — the event aims to solidify the Kingdom’s ambition to become a dominant gaming hub.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom’s futuristic Qiddiya City will soon feature the world’s first integrated gaming and eSports district, expected to attract 10 million visitors annually.

Saudi Startups: The Next Wave of Gaming Innovation 

Saudi Arabia’s gaming journey isn’t just about record-breaking tournaments and gazillion-dollar investments—there’s a new story unfolding at the grassroots level. Across the Kingdom, a new generation of gaming startups is emerging, fueled by Vision 2030’s ambitious digital economy goals and a tech-savvy, youthful population ready to shape the future of play. 

From mobile gaming studios and eSports marketplaces to blockchain-driven game worlds, Saudi startups are putting their own stamp on global gaming trends. Though the ecosystem is still in its early stages compared to regional heavyweights like Israel and Turkey, momentum is building fast. With increasing access to funding, specialized support from initiatives like the Saudi ESports Federation, and growing global visibility, Saudi Arabia’s gaming entrepreneurs are no longer just players— they are becoming global creators.

Top 5 KSA-Based Gaming Startups (based on Funds Raised to date)

Meet Saudi Arabia’s Gaming Rising Stars

#1 – Kammelna

Kammelna is a Saudi gaming studio known for digitizing the Kingdom’s iconic card game Baloot. It creates culturally inspired mobile games with over 6M downloads and 1M monthly active users.  Founded in Dammam, Kammelna employs over 40 professionals across engineering, product, and art, making it the largest independent gaming employer in Saudi Arabia. Its Baloot tournaments have drawn as many as 150,000 participants, underlining the cultural impact of its games.

In August 2025, during the NGSC25 that was held alongside the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Impact46, one of Saudi Arabia’s most active technology investors, announced its largest investment to date, committing more than 200 million riyals ($53 million) to back Kammelna. The agreement is being hailed as the largest gaming transaction in the region and a uniquely Saudi success story, underscoring the growing role of venture capital in scaling local studios to global markets.

#2 – Grintafy Technologies

Founded in 2018, Grintafy operates a platform that connects amateur footballers with clubs and scouts, allowing users to find, join, or organize games, rate players, track performance, and build a football CV to be viewed by scouts and professional clubs across the globe. Last year, Grintafy surpassed 2 million players and released the 2.0 version of its app which introduced its virtual currency called G-Coins and a new clubs’ section as well as a new AI algorithm to customize user experience and enhanced payment options.

#3 – Legends Gaming

Founded in 2018, Legends Gaming is an engaging e-gaming marketplace that develops and sells its own e-sports products directly to users while also managing and hosting e-sports tournament platforms, aiming to become the largest e-gaming marketplace in Saudi Arabia. Legends’ app has attracted 300,000 nationwide downloads, including 60,000 monthly active users and over 8,000 registered teams.

#4 – Astra Nova

Founded in 2022, Astra Nova develops a Web3 role-playing game (RPG) that integrates blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, and usergenerated content (UGC). It is Saudi Arabia’s first Arabian-themed RPG set in a universe on the brink of destruction, allowing players to shape their experience through AI and UGC with a collection of NFTs representing the original inhabitants of Astra Nova inside the game. In April 2024, Astra Nova raised a US $1 million seed round led by Oxbull and The Hashgraph Association, which was used to enhance the game’s development, expand the platform’s capabilities, and of course support the global launch of Astra Nova at the end of 2024.

#5 – SPOILZ

Founded in 2020, Spoilz develops and publishes mobile games with a focus on creating fun and engaging adventure games that reflect Saudi culture and identity. Spoilz recently announced its 2025 plan to launch new IPs backed by Impact46, introducing cuttingedge gaming technology and talent development to produce worldclass mobile games and cultivate the next generation of Saudi-based developers, designers, and industry professionals.

#6 – RIZE.GG

Founded in 2022, Rize. gg is building a one-stop platform for competitive gamers to team up, stream gameplay, and organize tournaments. With its 2024 pre-seed round funding, the company is focused on expanding its user base and rolling out new training and coaching features for aspiring eSports athletes.

Saudi Arabia’s Gaming Ascent is Just Beginning

Saudi Arabia has made extraordinary progress in establishing itself as a global epicenter for eSports and gaming entertainment. Yet when it comes to the startup scene, the Kingdom’s journey is still in its early chapters. While the funding amounts raised by Saudi gaming startups remain relatively modest compared to more mature ecosystems like Israel or Turkey, what makes Saudi Arabia unique compared to the gaming startup ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates is the sheer number of homegrown startups being built by local founders—passionate Saudi gamers turned entrepreneurs. 

This stands in contrast to places like Dubai, where many of the leading gaming startups are founded by international entrepreneurs drawn by the UAE’s global connectivity. In Saudi Arabia, the gaming movement is being shaped from within: by Saudi players, creators, and innovators building products that reflect their culture, ambitions, and digital future; and that brings a distinctly unique flavor to Saudi gaming startups that just might result in an unbeatable USP in the future. With continued investment in talent development, infrastructure, and global exposure, Saudi Arabia’s local startup scene is poised to grow rapidly—and may soon produce the region’s next generation of gaming unicorns. 

 

Get a round-up of the biggest gaming trends, startup breakthroughs, and investment opportunities across the Middle East and Africa in 2025, by downloading our latest Special Report, “MEA Gaming Review 2025.”