Saudi Arabia Stands to Gain US$13.3 Billion from Esports and Gaming by 2030

Key insights

5 takeaways

01
Saudi Arabia's Esports and gaming sector is projected to contribute US$13.3 billion (SAR 50 billion) to the Kingdom's GDP and create nearly 39,000 jobs by 2030, driven by its National Gaming and Esports Strategy.
02
Saudi Arabia is a significant player in the global Esports and gaming market, which had an approximate value of US$7.2 billion in 2023.
03
The Kingdom has a large gaming population, with 23.5 million enthusiasts, representing 67% of its total population.
04
Nearly 1,000 individuals in Saudi Arabia are pursuing full-time careers in Esports.
05
Worldwide Esports revenue is expected to reach $1.86 billion by 2025, a substantial increase from $996 million in 2020.

Summary

Saudi Arabia's esports and gaming sector could add US$13.3 billion (SAR 50 billion) to national GDP and create nearly 39,000 jobs by 2030, according to a 2024 analysis by PwC Middle East and the Saudi Esports Federation. The projection rests on the 2022 National Gaming and Esports Strategy and the broader Vision 2030 push to diversify the economy away from hydrocarbons, positioning gaming as a strategic growth industry rather than simply a leisure market.

The domestic base is substantial. Saudi Arabia counts 23.5 million gamers, equal to 67% of its population, along with nearly 1,000 full-time professional esports players. Regional and global context underscores the opportunity: gaming revenue across the Middle East and Africa reached roughly US$7.2 billion in 2023, while global esports revenue is projected to hit US$1.86 billion by 2025.

Several obstacles temper the outlook. Monetisation remains underdeveloped across ticketing, merchandise, and broadcast rights, hardware competition adds pressure, and the absence of established regulatory norms creates uncertainty for operators and investors. Even so, the overall assessment is positive. Qiddiya City's planned gaming and esports district, which is expected to draw 10 million visitors annually, illustrates the scale of infrastructure investment intended to anchor the sector's growth.

The analysis is national in focus, centered on Saudi Arabia with comparative reference to regional and global markets, and looks from 2023 baseline figures to a 2030 horizon. It covers gaming and esports broadly, including player populations, employment, revenue, infrastructure, and policy, though detailed methodology and sector-by-sector breakdowns of the GDP estimate are not evident.