Riyadh, 14 October 2025 – Saudia Arabia is intensifying efforts to establish itself as a global gaming hub, marked by the recent US$55 billion purchase of Electronic Arts (EA) through a consortium led by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), private equity firm Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners.
Known for franchise hits like FIFA and The Sims, the acquisition of EA is the largest leveraged buyout to date.
The move aligns with Saudi’s Vision 2020 plan to tap into the Kingdom’s young population and create job opportunities, enhance skills, and allow for locally developed content to boost Saudi’s global presence while reshaping its image beyond oil and gas.
Moving Towards a Diversified Economy
For decades, Saudi Arabia is synonymous with oil wealth. However, amid rising interest in clean energy coupled by volatile markets, the Kingdom is working to diversify its economy and reduce dependency on energy.
At the centre of this shift is its sovereign wealth fund PIF, which has made major investments in aviation, tourism, entertainment, and esports. Saudi Arabia is a young nation with approximately 63% of its population under 30 years old, making its investments in esports both strategic and timely.
National Gaming And Esports Strategy
According to the PwC Middle East and Saudi Esports Federation report, the esports sector is projected to contribute US$13.3 billion to the Kingdom’s economy by 2030, with 39,000 jobs created.
Under its National Gaming and Esports Strategy, it targets to produce over 30 globally recognised games by 2030, establish 250 electronic gaming companies in the Kingdom, and rank top three globally for professional esports athletes.
To drive this vision, in 2021, PIF established Savvy Games Group, which has since bought over global players including Scopely and ESL FACEIT Group.
In 2024 and 2025, Riyadh hosted the annual Esports World Cup event and boosted its status as a venue for competitive gaming. Riyadh is also set to host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in 2027.
Building on this momentum, Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in large-scale real estate projects to anchor the gaming industry’s future. Qiddiya Investment Company, another subsidiary of PIF, is developing Qiddiya City, a futuristic world-class destination for sports, entertainment, and culture.
It will feature a dedicated gaming and esports district spanning over 500,000 sq m with 73,000 seats across multiple arenas.
The district will be home to the world’s elite esports clubs and serve as training grounds for up to 25 esports clubs. Construction is underway in phases, with full completion of the city expected in 2050.
What It Means For The Industry
The Kingdom’s fast expansion into the gaming and esports industry presents an opportunity for fresh capital injection to drive innovation and talent development in markets that have been long dominated by East Asian and Western players.
However, concerns remain over Saudi Arabia’s growing influence and what it means for creative freedom and inclusivity in gaming. Popular franchises like The Sims has a large LGBTQ+ fanbase.
With billions of dollars in investments and high profile-acquisitions, Saudi Arabia’s presence throughout the gaming value chain makes it a rising powerhouse in the esports scene, and certainly one to watch out for.
