Saudi Arabia hails tourism impact of Esports World Cup

The second edition of the Esports World Cup is underway in the kingdom's capital, Riyadh, and Saudi Tourism Authority's Abdullah Aldakhil is expecting big things once the final numbers come in.

"We expect this year's event to be even bigger than last year's, which hosted more than three million visitors," he told the press this week.

"With the concerts, boulevard activations, and everything happening on-site, it's a great attraction.

"Having such global events in Saudi is a big push for brands to create their association with us. You see content creators, event enthusiasts, and even casual visitors coming from all across the world - over 100 nationalities participating this year. It's a testament to the belief they have in what's happening here.

"In the last couple of years, content creators have had Saudi as one of their main destinations. Since opening for tourism in 2019, we've been seeing people flying from all over the world to be here.

"We really care about broadcasting not just our gaming, but our identity and our culture to the rest of the world.

"With their belief in us, more brands are coming, more collaborations are happening. And when they do come, they see it's not just about the tournament - it's about the experience, the hospitality, and discovering a hidden gem."