Riyadh Welcomes Esports World Cup Featuring $60M Prize Pool

The first-ever Esports World Cup launched with great excitement in Riyadh on Tuesday night (July 2). The competition starts on Wednesday (July 3) and runs until August 25, featuring 22 events across 21 top gaming titles and offering an unprecedented $60 million prize pool, the largest in esports history.

During a press conference, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, highlighted the event's significance for the sport in Saudi Arabia: "As a gamer from as far back as I can remember, it gives me immense pride when people come to our country and realize fully just how gaming-passionate a nation Saudi Arabia is.

"The figure that 23.5 million people in Saudi Arabia — out of a population of 35 million — are gamers is an incredible number and proof of what gaming means to us as a nation.

"But it doesn’t tell you the full story. Gaming to this nation, gaming to me, means meeting a fellow gamer in person or online, and instantly having a connection. That is the power of gaming, and that is the power of the gaming community."

Prince Faisal also noted that the event supports Saudi Arabia's National Gaming and Esports Strategy, which aims to create jobs and contribute $13 billion to the country's GDP. "The Esports World Cup, a global celebration of competitive excellence and esports fandom, will connect the global gaming community like never, with its focal point right here in Riyadh. Let the games begin," he declared.

Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, described the event as a historic convergence of gaming and sports, uniting the global community and driving growth in the esports industry.

Source: Aisha Fareed / Arab News