Saudi Esports Federation

The Saudi Esports Federation is the entity responsible for overseeing esports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was established in 2017 with the aim of building and developing gaming communities, creating a supportive environment for the growth of athletes in this field, and establishing an electronic system that connects Saudi Arabia to the world, enabling Saudi athletes to compete globally. The federation consists of a chairman and several board members.

In 2019, the Saudi Esports Federation organized the first edition of the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman eLeague, an electronic football tournament in which Saudi Professional League clubs compete. It includes sixteen teams and thirty-two players. Al-Etihad Club won its first edition.

Championships

The Saudi Esports Federation organized multiple national and international sports championships, including Gamers without Borders in 2020, the eMBS Club League Cup in 2021 within the Gamers Without Boarders initiative, which attracted valuable local and global investments, the Kingdom eCup, and the Esports Federation Championship. These championships were played by ninety players from forty-five clubs.

The federation also organized programs to develop specialized content for electronic sports and games, in addition to the Voices of Saudi Esports program that supports content creators and improves their competence and skills.

Saudi eLeagues

The Saudi Esports Federation organized the first edition of the Saudi eLeague in 2020, with the aim of enabling Saudi players to reach advanced levels in esports. The tournaments included DOTA 2, CS: GO, and Rainbow Six Siege. In the 2024 season, two editions were hosted, and a major tournament. Three other editions were hosted in 2025, and a major tournament, while 2026 had only one edition.

The league has four official leagues:

• Saudi eLeague - Elite League.
• Saudi eLeague - Women League.
• Saudi eLeague - Challenger League.
• Saudi eLeague - Fighting League.

Esports Federation Cup

In 2021, the Saudi Esports Federation organized the Esports Federation Cup for the first time. The tournament featured five titles: CS: Go, Dota 2, Rainbow Six Siege, PUBG Mobile, and Rocket League. It was held in two editions: the first from August 26 to September 11, 2021, and the second on September 16, 2021. All government clubs registered with the Ministry of Sports participated in the tournament, which was hosted by three cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam. The tournament offered a total prize pool of SAR32 million.

SEF Awards

The Saudi Esports Federation presents the SEF Awards, which support and develop talent in the esports sector and encourage them to grow. The award categories include Best FPS Player, Best Fighting Game Player, Best Team, Best Esports Club, Best Emerging Esports Club, Best Sports Game Player, Best Content Creator, Best Coach, Best Emerging Player, Best Female Player, Best Streamer, Best Emerging Streamer, Best Female Talent, Best Emerging Talent, Best Presenter, Best Analyst, Best Commentator, Best MOBA Player, and Best Battle Royale Player.

The Gamers8 Festival is organized by the Saudi Esports Federation and brings together elite esports players and enthusiasts from around the world in Riyadh. The first edition was held in 2022, with the participation of international clubs.

The festival is built around four main pillars: professional esports competitions, entertainment shows, musical concerts, and the “Next World Forum,” which brings together leaders and experts from the esports and gaming industry from around the world. The first edition attracted approximately 1.4 million visitors and was viewed by around 132 million people worldwide.

The first season featured 113 professional teams from around the world and 391 professional players from sixty-one countries competing across several esports titles, including Rocket League, Dota 2, Fortnite, PUBG Mobile, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. The winning teams received a total of approximately USD15 million in prize money. The festival concluded with the Next World Forum, which brought together esports leaders and experts from around the world.