The News
As professional video games tournaments take off worldwide, Saudi Arabia said it would host the first-ever Esports Olympics next year, a move expected to stir controversy over the nation’s dismal human rights record. The announcement Friday came as Riyadh, which has invested in competitive video gaming in a push to diversify its economy away from oil, hosted the first Esports World Cup.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said the governing body had been assured that “Olympic values” such as gender equality would be respected at the Games, which is likely to draw a mostly younger audience.
SIGNALS
Riyadh seen as using esports to boost soft power
Saudi Arabia has for years been accused of “sportswashing,” or attempting to distract from its human rights abuses by investing heavily in professional golf and soccer leagues.
“By zeroing in on the burgeoning eSports market, Saudi Arabia has added a new layer to its soft power strategy in an attempt to polish its public image on the international stage,” The Guardian reported. Whether Saudi Arabia is spending money on business deals or investing heavily in competitive gaming, one foreign policy expert told the Verge, “there are always strings attached.”
Saudi money has become inescapable in esports
Even as esports faces financial challenges, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in the industry, aiming to set up 250 game companies locally to create 39,000 jobs by 2030 — meaning the industry is increasingly financially dependent on the kingdom. “We’ve gotten to the point where if you draw the line and say, ‘I’m not working for a Saudi-owned company,’ or ‘I’m not going to Saudi Arabia,’ your career in Esports would probably be very short lived,” one esports broadcaster who resigned from an awards panel over its Saudi ties told The New York Times.