The eSports scene has increased incredibly in popularity across Saudi Arabia in recent years. The large and young population of tech-savvy individuals plays a big part in making the nation a key player in the global eSports industry. Furthermore, the local authorities led by prince Faisal have developed a coherent strategy to promote and support the phenomenon.
The latest eSports event confirmed to take palace in Saudi Arabia is the Riyadh Masters. Organized by Gamers8, the tournaments will have a combined prize pool of $45 million and are scheduled to start on the 6th of July, 2023. So, if you want to learn more about the upcoming eSports competition in Saudi Arabia and the progress made by the Gulf region, you’re exactly where you need to be.
What will the Riyadh Masters Bring in 2023
Earlier in March, the ESL announced plans to overhaul the Dota 2 eSports circuit and create one huge event with an incredible prize pool. The plan is to combine the ESL One, DreamLeague, and The Ryadh Masters in one global circuit that will be different from what the country has seen until now. As things stand, the DreamLeague will be the main qualifying venue for The Riyadh Masters. The 16 teams involved in the qualifying competition will meet online for prize money of $1 million. Then, ESL One will also feature a prize pool of $1 million, with an offline event taking place in Thailand.
It all adds up to the Riyadh Masters, which takes place within the Gamers8 Festival that is hosted by Saudi Arabia in July. This multiple-game festival will feature an outstanding $45 million prize pool and has the potential to become the country’s biggest eSports tournament.
The novelty comes from adding CS:GO, Rocket League, and PUBG: Mobile to the list of games played at the Saudi Arabian event. If Dota 2 was the main game at the 202 Riyadh Masters, 2023 would come with a lot of added excitement and nail-biting matches.
The move is considered a natural one since the past actions pretty much led to this moment. Back in 2021, ESL Gaming and FACEIT, two of the biggest eSports tournament organizers were bought by Savvy Gaming Group, a company backed by the local government. Shortly after the $37,9 billion transaction was perfected, the two giants announced their merger to become ESL FACEIT Group. This has paved the way for Saudi Arabia to organize bigger and better eSports tournaments and continue their expansion into this industry.
Other Industries Thrive Alongside eSports
In Saudi Arabia and all across the Gulf region, the eSports landscape is constantly growing, and the area has become a hotspot for such events. The UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman are the Middle Eastern nations that have taken a keen interest in eSports. The YAE, for example, took a big step forward wit by establishing the Dubai X-Stadium while Qatar hosted multiple eSports tournaments. On the other hand, Bahrain put together the framework needed to promote and organize similar competitions.
And wherever there’s a lot of eSports activity, you automatically get a boom in interest for betting on such events. Even though we’re talking about Muslim countries with a strict take on online gambling, there’s nothing preventing foreigners and ex-pats from supporting their favorite teams and athletes through betting sites. If you’re interested in the phenomenon but unsure where to begin, the first step is finding the best Saudi Arabia eSports Betting Sites. Arabic-casinos.org is one of the biggest platforms that will help you find an excellent site for your activity, and you can go through exhaustive reviews and feedback from players.
The eSports tournaments can already compare to traditional sports competitions when it comes to the number of punters, betting markets, and the revenue generated. And since there are no signs of slowing down, the situation will continue to develop year after year.
Final Words
2023 is still at the beginning, and there are lots of top-quality eSports tournaments ahead of us. The phenomenon keeps growing in Europe, the US, and Asia. However, no other region has seen the exponential development showcased by the Gulf region. Especially through Saudi Arabia, a country fully involved in promoting eSports, the Middle East will continue attracting the biggest teams in multi-million competitions. One example is the Riyadh Masters, an annual esports tournament that went through a massive overhaul and will be one of the world’s most important events. As the industry continues to expand, more and more countries in the area will host similar tournaments with a positive impact on the industry and gamers worldwide.