Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan to Asharq Al-Awsat: Electronic Games Revenues in Saudi Arabia Top $576Mln

President of the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronic Sports (SAFEIS) Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz revealed that revenues from the electronic games market in the Kingdom top 576 million dollars annually.

In an exclusive interview to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said this figure motivates the field to become more productive and to create more ideas to further increase revenues. On the global scale, gaming revenues reached 1.1 billion dollars in 2019, a 27 percent increase from 2018.

Prince Faisal revealed that statistics at the SAFEIS indicate that some 6 million amateur gamers are present in the Kingdom. In other words, these gamers do not have a contract agreement with a sports club that is registered at the federation. The federation boasts 35 clubs. Globally, 1.2 billion gamers were confirmed in 2020, while viewers of eSports are constantly rising. Nearly half a billion people have tuned in to watch eSports this year, compared to 335 million in 2017.

Moreover, Prince Faisal revealed that talks are ongoing with the Ministry of Education to develop curricula and scholarships related to eSports. Studies are ongoing over how to take advantage of the youths’ interest in eSports and to develop a teaching mechanism and best healthy practices related to this sector.

Talks are also ongoing with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to improve the quality of internet services in some parts of the Kingdom and to motivate game developers to enter the Saudi market. The aim is to eventually attract developers so that the Kingdom could be transformed into a hub for the Middle East.

In the three years since its establishment, said Prince Faisal, the federation has developed the eSports sector in the Kingdom starting from nurturing the professional and social competition environment to motivating investors to promote growth in the sector.

The federation hosted Gamers Without Borders, the world’s biggest charity eSports festival in 2020. Prizes totaled 10 million dollars and they were donated by winners to 12 charities that are dedicated to combating COVID-19, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Over 460,000 players from 141 countries took part in the tournament and over 14 million viewers tuned in. The winnings were given to UNICEF, Direct Relief, GAVI, and International Medical Corps and others.

The federation hosted the Fortnite Middle East and North Africa tournament that was launched by the International Esports Federation (IESF). Saudi Arabia won first and second place at the event, he added.

These victories demonstrate the talent and potential boasted by Saudis in the eSports sector, he remarked. “It motivates us to offer more support to nurture these talents. We have a clear plan to transform Saudi Arabia into a global pioneer in eSports.”

Given that children and youths are very interested in eSports, the federation has been keen on forging a special relationship with the Ministry of Health, continued Prince Faisal. It has offered several successful initiatives and programs, including the universities league that was organized in cooperation with the Saudi Universities League. Plans are in place to hold the second edition of the event in 2022. Discussions are also underway to develop curricula and scholarships related to eSports.

Commenting on the Saudi eSports League, Prince Faisal said that the second edition of the event was held and it has witnessed remarkable development since its launch. Channels have started to broadcast the competition in full and in a professional manner. “Plans are definitely in place to expand to hold global championships and we are aiming to develop the fanbase for it. The aim is to reach a professional and competitive level at international eSports events.”

Returning to Gamers Without Borders, Prince Faisal said the 2021 edition of the event will be held under the slogan “One world, one body”. It seeks to help needy countries access the COVID-19 vaccines through donating the prize money to the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief). The center will in turn offer it to global parties that will send the vaccines to countries in need. Furthermore, the event will feature an educational platform, organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, that will offer free courses that will help interested people build their professional careers around eSports.

Prince Faisal highlighted the significance of events such as Gamers Without Borders that bring together gamers from throughout the world, regardless of race, culture and religion, all with the same charity goal.

Given the Saudi interest in eSports, the federation is seeking to build a complete sector that allows gamers to compete on a professional level, continued Prince Faisal. This will in turn reap economic benefits and increase the level of competitiveness that will transform the Kingdom into a regional and international eSports hub.

“The opportunities are endless,” he stressed, which confirms the federation’s goal to develop the sector in line with Vision 2030 that seeks to achieve real and comprehensive development that supports the national economy.

Coming to statistics, Saudi Arabia ranks first globally in the FIFA eWorld Cup, winning the title in 2015, 2018 and 2019. Eight of the ten gamers from West Asia are Saudi, he added. The Kingdom boasts over 300 professional gamers, who have a contract with an official club. The Saudi eSports league also includes resident non-Saudis.

Overall, said Prince Faisal, the Kingdom’s higher leadership has shown great interest in various forms of sports. Minister of Sports and head of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal is also constantly following up on the sector.

“This in turn motivates us to achieve the eSports goals and aspirations of our nation,” stressed Prince Faisal.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Anatolii Petrenko, stressed that his country’s “top priority is energy support in multiple ways,” pointing to preparatory measures between Saudi Arabia and Ukraine concerning a Saudi aid package, most of which consists of energy equipment.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Petrenko said that the Kingdom has been assisting Ukrainian civilians since the early days of the “full-scale Russian invasion,” as he described it. He said Saudi aid “has helped provide decent living conditions for our people, who have been forced by the war to relocate to safe areas within the country. It has also helped us maintain citizens' access to medical services and sustain social infrastructure.”
The ambassador emphasized the difficult period Ukraine is facing due to “energy shortages caused by regular Russian attacks on critical infrastructure,” which previously ensured daily needs for urban and municipal areas. He expressed concern about the approaching winter season and the severe drop in temperatures across the country.
Petrenko pointed to the need for energy resources, as well as access to light, water and heat, to enable the Ukrainian agricultural sector to continue contributing to global and regional food security.
He expressed his country’s firm belief in the importance of Saudi Arabia’s support to bring energy self-sufficiency in Ukraine, presently and in the long term.”
He added: “Through our united efforts, we can enhance the green energy agenda by smartly utilizing diverse renewable energy sources as key resources that can give us complete energy independence.”
The Ukrainian ambassador described the Saudi friendship as “an Arab generosity.” He noted that both Ukraine and the Kingdom were jointly studying “the latest innovations and sustainable technologies, such as combined heat and power plants and piston turbines, which could offset energy losses in various regions of Ukraine and thus prevent humanitarian crises in the winter season for hundreds of thousands of people.”
On the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day, Petrenko stated that his country “stands firmly to celebrate another anniversary of its independence, while appreciating the immense contributions and aid provided by international partners and friends, including Saudi Arabia, which holds a prominent position in leading humanitarian efforts in the region and encourages others to follow the same approach.”
“This represents a success story that will open a new chapter in energy resilience, which helps us achieve national independence,” he underlined.
The ambassador added that Ukraine highly values its bilateral relations with the Kingdom.
“On behalf of my country, I express my gratitude to Saudi Arabia, both the government and the people, for everything they are doing to alleviate the humanitarian challenges facing civilians today,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Riyadh continues to send planes carrying tons of humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRELIEF).
This follows an agreement and memorandum of understanding signed by both sides last year, which included providing an additional humanitarian aid package to Ukraine amounting to $400 million, as well as emergency medical and shelter aid valued at $10 million for refugees from Ukraine to neighboring countries, particularly Poland, in coordination with the Polish government and UN organizations.

Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan to Asharq Al-Awsat: Electronic Games Revenues in Saudi Arabia Top $576Mln