Qiddiya Investment Company released an interview with His Royal Highness Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Al Saud, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, alongside Musaed AlDossary, Chairman of Team Falcons.
The interview provides some interesting insight about the Saudi esports scene and the ambitions of the Kingdom in this growing industry.
We hear from Prince Faisal that he believes that the esports sector is the sector of the future, and the youth is the Kingdom’s future. As such, it needs to invest in them and in their talent so that it can maintain its position as a “world-class esports destination not for a couple of years but for hundreds of years.”
Prince Faisal also talked about Qiddiya city itself, mentioning that the expectation is for it to become the hub for esports, with the Esports World Cup happening there. AlDossary added that gaming developers, players, and teams gathering in Qiddiya will also generate employment opportunities.
You can watch the full interview below.
Incidentally, Qiddiya Investment Company also released a second video recently, showcasing the progress made in the construction of the nascent city.
You can watch it below. A similar video was published a few months ago, so you can see how quickly it’s coming up.
If you’re unfamiliar with Qiddiya City, construction started in 2019 in a location 45 km from downtown Riyadh and 70 km from the Saudi Capital City’s main airport, King Khalid International. The ultimate goal is to build a futuristic city focused on entertainment, esports, and “play” in general.
When completed, it will host 27 main attractions, including 12 branded theme parks, a Six Flags amusement park, the Aquarabia water park, the Dragon Ball theme park, and the motorsports-dedicated Speed Park.
Gaming and esports will have an entire dedicated neighborhood, which will feature multiple esports arenas capable of seating 73,000 spectators cumulatively, team facilities, boot camps, and over 30 regional headquarters hosting gaming publishers and developers.
According to its creators, Qiddiya City will host 500,000 permanent residents and create over 300,000 jobs. It’ll also draw plenty of tourists, generating 48 million visits per year.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been investing very heavily in gaming and esports, and the country’s ambitions have found purchase, as it was chosen to host the first official Olympic Esports Games in 2027.
