Popular
Saudi Arabia is planning to build a $500 million (£393 million/€458 million) “esports city” in Riyadh as the country seeks to become a “global hub” for the industry.
Chief executive of Saudi Arabia Holding Company Mohammed AlQahtani said the site, set to be located in the capital city, would have a capacity of 20,000 spectators and would host a variety of esports events including the World Cyber Games.
“The city is part of [the] Saudi Vision 2030 plan, which aims to diversify the country’s economy away from oil,” AlQahtani wrote on LinkedIn.
“The plan also includes a focus on developing the country’s gaming industry, which is already worth an estimated $1 billion (£786 million/€916 million).
“The e-sports city is expected to attract major e-sports teams and players from around the world.
“It will also provide a platform for local talent to develop and compete on the global stage.
“The city is scheduled to be completed in 2024.
“The development of the e-sports city in Saudi Arabia presents a number of opportunities for investors and e-sports makers.
“For investors, the city represents a chance to get involved in a growing industry with a large potential audience.
“The global e-sports market is expected to be worth $1.6 billion (£1.25 billion/€1.4 billion) by 2023, and Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world.
“For e-sports makers, the city provides a new platform to showcase their skills and compete on the global stage.
“The city will host a variety of e-sports events, including the World Cyber Games, which is one of the largest e-sports tournaments in the world.”
From 2000 to 2013, the World Cyber Games ran annually but stopped before two editions in 2019 and 2020.
It has previously taken place in South Korea, the United States, Singapore, Italy, Germany, and China but Saudi Arabia’s proposed future hosting will be the first time it has been staged in the Kingdom.
The development is the latest in Saudi Arabia’s conquest to become an esports leader.
It has spent almost $8 billion (£6.2 billion/€7.3 billion) in the last 18 months acquiring and building stakes in gaming companies.
Support insidethegames.biz for as little as £10
For nearly 15 years now, insidethegames.biz has been at the forefront of reporting fearlessly on what happens in the Olympic Movement. As the first website not to be placed behind a paywall, we have made news about the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and other major events more accessible than ever to everybody.
insidethegames.biz has established a global reputation for the excellence of its reporting and breadth of its coverage. For many of our readers from more than 200 countries and territories around the world the website is a vital part of their daily lives. The ping of our free daily email alert, sent every morning at 6.30am UK time 365 days a year, landing in their inbox, is as a familiar part of their day as their first cup of coffee.
Even during the worst times of the COVID-19 pandemic, insidethegames.biz maintained its high standard of reporting on all the news from around the globe on a daily basis. We were the first publication in the world to signal the threat that the Olympic Movement faced from the coronavirus and have provided unparalleled coverage of the pandemic since.
As the world begins to emerge from the COVID crisis, insidethegames.biz would like to invite you to help us on our journey by funding our independent journalism. Your vital support would mean we can continue to report so comprehensively on the Olympic Movement and the events that shape it. It would mean we can keep our website open for everyone. Last year, nearly 25 million people read insidethegames.biz, making us by far the biggest source of independent news on what is happening in world sport.
Every contribution, however big or small, will help maintain and improve our worldwide coverage in the year ahead. Our small and dedicated team were extremely busy last year covering the re-arranged Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, an unprecedented logistical challenge that stretched our tight resources to the limit.
The remainder of 2022 is not going to be any less busy, or less challenging. We had the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, where we sent a team of four reporters, and coming up are the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the Summer World University and Asian Games in China, the World Games in Alabama and multiple World Championships. Plus, of course, there is the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Unlike many others, insidethegames.biz is available for everyone to read, regardless of what they can afford to pay. We do this because we believe that sport belongs to everybody, and everybody should be able to read information regardless of their financial situation. While others try to benefit financially from information, we are committed to sharing it with as many people as possible. The greater the number of people that can keep up to date with global events, and understand their impact, the more sport will be forced to be transparent.
Support insidethegames.biz for as little as £10 – it only takes a minute. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. Thank you.
Read more
Contribute
Owen Lloyd is a reporter at insidethegames.biz, having joined the team in 2021. Lloyd has previously worked with Badminton England at the All England Open Badminton Championships, covered the 2019 General Election and hosted a radio show on local station Voice FM. He graduated from Solent University in 2021 with a 2:1 in sports journalism, where his final project examined diversity in rowing.
Teams from 22 countries compete in Nottingham at WFDF World Under-24 Ultimate Championships
When British skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won the Olympic gold medal in ice dance at Sarajevo 1984 with 12 perfect 6.0s from every judge, for their interpretation of Maurice Ravel’s Boléro, an important member of their team was singer-actor Michael Crawford. Crawford, who had played Frank Spencer in British sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em and the title role in the musical The Phantom of the Opera, had become a mentor to the pair in 1981 and went on to help them create their Olympic routine. Crawford said he “taught them how to act”. He was present with their trainer Betty Callaway at the ringside at Sarajevo as they created one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.
FIH Judical Commission (JC) Member – Switzerland
The International Hockey Federation is recruiting a member for its independent Judicial Commission (JC). The Judicial Commission is the judicial power of FIH. Members are appointed by the Executive Board. Applicants for the JC Member position should have the following core competencies: A strong work ethic, a good team player and complete dedication to protecting the integrity of sport.
More jobs
From the inaugural International Island Games in 1985 in the Isle of Man and the formation of the International Island Games Association, the multi-sport event intended to “further friendship throughout the islands” has seen many changes and champions over the years. A sea front Opening Ceremony in Saint Peter Port is being planned as Guernsey get ready to play hosts 20 years after it last staged the event, reports Philip Barker.
Read more
Big Read Archive
Do you support the creation of World Boxing?
You have viewed over 50 articles in the last 12 months.
Support insidethegames.biz for as little as £10
For nearly 15 years now, insidethegames.biz has been at the forefront of reporting fearlessly on what happens in the Olympic Movement. As the first website not to be placed behind a paywall, we have made news about the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and other major events more accessible than ever to everybody.
insidethegames.biz has established a global reputation for the excellence of its reporting and breadth of its coverage. For many of our readers from more than 200 countries and territories around the world the website is a vital part of their daily lives. The ping of our free daily email alert, sent every morning at 6.30am UK time 365 days a year, landing in their inbox, is as a familiar part of their day as their first cup of coffee.
Even during the worst times of the COVID-19 pandemic, insidethegames.biz maintained its high standard of reporting on all the news from around the globe on a daily basis. We were the first publication in the world to signal the threat that the Olympic Movement faced from the coronavirus and have provided unparalleled coverage of the pandemic since.
As the world begins to emerge from the COVID crisis, insidethegames.biz would like to invite you to help us on our journey by funding our independent journalism. Your vital support would mean we can continue to report so comprehensively on the Olympic Movement and the events that shape it. It would mean we can keep our website open for everyone. Last year, nearly 25 million people read insidethegames.biz, making us by far the biggest source of independent news on what is happening in world sport.
Every contribution, however big or small, will help maintain and improve our worldwide coverage in the year ahead. Our small and dedicated team were extremely busy last year covering the re-arranged Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, an unprecedented logistical challenge that stretched our tight resources to the limit.
The remainder of 2022 is not going to be any less busy, or less challenging. We had the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, where we sent a team of four reporters, and coming up are the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the Summer World University and Asian Games in China, the World Games in Alabama and multiple World Championships. Plus, of course, there is the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Unlike many others, insidethegames.biz is available for everyone to read, regardless of what they can afford to pay. We do this because we believe that sport belongs to everybody, and everybody should be able to read information regardless of their financial situation. While others try to benefit financially from information, we are committed to sharing it with as many people as possible. The greater the number of people that can keep up to date with global events, and understand their impact, the more sport will be forced to be transparent.
Support insidethegames.biz for as little as £10 – it only takes a minute. If you can, please consider supporting us with a regular amount each month. Thank you.
Read more 