THE FUTURE OF eSPORTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

eSports is one of the fastest-growing technology and recreation sectors globally, with continually rising viewership and earnings. Major areas such as North America and China have seen significant development, but the Middle East is also benefiting from the eSports boom.

The eSports market has remained mostly unaffected by the worldwide pandemic, because of the continuous safety precautions at events. It has even influenced several areas of its development. Since the start of 2021, “eSports” has been a popular hashtag on social media platforms in the Middle East, with over 100,000 mentions.

Saudi Arabia’s market for gaming and eSports is growing extremely and is on its way to becoming a global gaming hotspot. There is significant ambition to become the Gulf region’s premier gaming destination and it is driving the rapid investment in the expansion of eSports. Even the locally based Arabic language casino sites are offering fans new and exciting ways to follow their favorite eSport teams. It is very easy to see the economic potential ahead for this category in this area of the world. The gaming business is real, it’s developing worldwide, and it’s ripe for huge profits. If you work in the gaming business and want to host eSports competitions, Saudisoft can help out with our eSports organization partner.

Reach of eSport in the Middle-East

eSport looks to be on track to become a significant part of the future of all sports, however it is more likely eSports compete with traditional sports rather than replace them. The engagement and dedication of local businesses and governments have demonstrated that the Middle East has a future in eSports. Saeed Sharaf, the CEO of  eSports Middle East, notes “On the government part, many countries are starting to recognize eSports officially through independent associations in Egypt, Tunisia, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, helping media to spread this new culture among new audiences.” Since the region, for the most part, shares a language and a younger demographic, it’s easy to see how eSports are becoming an important part of the sporting landscape. There are an estimated 80 million gamers in the Middle East, a very large economic force waiting to be tapped fully by eSports.

Investor Appeal and Economic Potential

eSports has come a long way from a mostly underground culture to a mainstream industry. The industry has attracted famous investors like Mark Cuban, Ashton Kutcher, and Alexis Ohanian. According to a survey published by the World Economic Forum last year, eSports will soon be a $1 billion industry, and the UAE and Saudi Arabia are poised to profit. Ticket and product sales are estimated to raise $96 million from a global audience of roughly 400 million people. While FIFA has yet to completely benefit from this burgeoning industry, eSports, in general, is gaining popularity throughout the world. The official EA Sports FIFA Twitter account has 6.9 million followers, compared to 12.8 million for FIFA itself.

Investors have chances to support rising eSports stars, create teams, and develop the “next-big-thing” game, thanks to the fast-expanding exposure. Meanwhile, events like the FIFA eWorld Cup offer eSports professionals possible payouts through sponsorships and prize pools. eSports players have drawn in and captivated enormous, engaged audiences across the globe, providing advertisers with a valuable captive market to target.

What does the future hold?

The Dubai Media Office and TECOM Group, a free zone operator, have unveiled plans to build the first eSports stadium in the Middle East. The facility will establish Dubai as a global hub for video gaming events as part of the government’s 10X strategy. Dubbed the Dubai X-Stadium project, the proposed venue would draw millions of spectators from around the world. It would also cement Dubai as the Middle East’s leader in eSports. 

It is critical to emphasize that the entertainment industries in general are making huge in-roads in the Middle East. eSports is not the only game in town, so to speak. Other sports are finding their way to popularity in the region including F1 races, soccer matches, rally races and more.

The pandemic has caused eSports explosive growth due to a lack of choices for viewing and participating in traditional sports. However, the heightened interest in eSports is to fuel the momentum that was already developing before the epidemic. It is clear that the trend was only intensified by Covid-19’s effects.

This is a paid guest post.