The National Gaming and Esports Strategy

The National Gaming and Esports Strategy is a strategy aimed at positioning the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a global hub in the games and esports sector by 2030. It was launched by Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, in 2022.

The National Gaming and Esports Strategy aligns with the ambitions of the gaming community both locally and globally by providing new and distinctive job and entertainment opportunities, while also harnessing the energy and creativity of Saudi youth and gaming enthusiasts.

The National Gaming and Esports Strategy is based on several key objectives that impact citizens, residents, and global stakeholders in the gaming sector. These objectives include enhancing quality of life by improving the gaming experience and offering new and distinctive entertainment opportunities. Additionally, it aims to achieve economic impact by contributing approximately SAR50 billion directly and indirectly to the gross domestic product (GDP) and creating over 39,000 new job opportunities by 2030.

The strategy also aims to provide a foundational environment for developing talents and achieving global leadership. It seeks to enhance the Kingdom's global standing by producing more than thirty globally competitive games in Saudi studios and positioning the Kingdom among the top three countries in terms of the number of professional esports players.

The National Gaming and Esports Strategy is implemented through eighty-six initiatives, launched and managed by twenty government or private entities. These initiatives include launching business incubators, hosting major gaming and esports events, establishing educational academies, and developing incentivizing regulatory frameworks that ensure the growth of this sector.

The initiatives are distributed across several pillars, including the development of technology and devices, the production of games and esports, and additional services. Other enabling pillars of the strategy include infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, education, talent acquisition, as well as funding and financial support.

The National Gaming and Esports Strategy aspires to benefit citizens by creating new opportunities, leveraging the Kingdom's untapped resources and capabilities to keep pace with developments in the gaming and esports sector. It aims to ensure integration with major strategic sectors, boost the local economy by empowering citizens, increase private sector participation, and enhance the Kingdom's international standing.