The magnitude of the ongoing Esports World Cup (EWC) in Saudi Arabia has captured the global imagination, providing a timely opportunity to develop the sport as the Olympic movement takes note of its popularity, said a Saudi official in the sector.
The International Olympic Committee has announced it has partnered with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia to host the first Olympic Esports Games in 2025.
Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, said in an interview that the event is just the beginning of a new era for competitive video gaming at the professional level.
"First and foremost, this is a partnership that has been put together between the International Olympic Committee and the Saudi Arabia Olympic Committee. And it is an ambitious 12-year agreement and it is helping to ensure that these games will be held regularly," he said.
The first-ever Esports World Cup (EWC) is underway in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, drawing the world's top gamers to compete across 22 tournaments for a staggering 60 million U.S. dollar prize pool, which organizers have called "life-changing".
Featuring 22 tournaments spanning the two-month-long competition, popular games such as Fortnite, Street Fighter, and games published by EA Sports are captivating millions of fans worldwide.
Al Saud said that holding large events like the EWC will help esports become better recognized by the world and give it ample opportunity to develop on a global scale.
"The idea there is to make sure we had an arena to really allow esports and our athletes to stake a claim and help us maneuver our way forward within the Olympic movement. As a sport, esports is not new, it has been there for ten odd years. It is new when you look at traditional sports from hundreds of years ago, obviously. But finding our way through the Olympic movement, it's something that we need to make sure we do right, to make sure we're doing right by this community, these athletes, and also right by the Olympic movement," he said.
"Having an event of this magnitude is something that we as Saudi Arabia are very proud of and very humbled by. It is something that has captured the imagination not just here but internationally. And we want to make sure that we are taking every effort to take it step by step, do the right thing, grow it in the right way as part of the Olympic movement, and allow it to stake its own claim," said the prince.
Esports to develop step by step, integrating into Olympic movement: Saudi official
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
