First edition of Olympic Esports to be held in Saudi Arabia next year

History was made today when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to create Olympic Esports Games.

The first edition will be held next year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The 142nd IOC Session in Paris endorsed the proposal by the IOC Executive Board (EB) unanimously.

For the organisation of the Games, the IOC has partnered with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia for 12 years.

IOC President Thomas Bach says this is truly a new era for the IOC as they are keeping up with the pace of the digital revolution.

Bach says the Esports community, represented in their Esports Commission, has enthusiastically engaged with this initiative. He says this is further proof of the attractivity of the Olympic brand and the values it stands for among young people.

The IOC has been engaging with Esports since 2018 in a holistic way and this culminated in the organisation of the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore in 2023, and as a result of the success of this event, the IOC President asked the IOC Esports Commission at the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, India, in October 2023 to study the creation of the Olympic Esports Games.

[Source: Olympics.com]