Saudi Arabia’s video‑game sector has recorded imports exceeding 2.4 million consoles across 2024 and to mid‑2025, signalling strong, sustained demand. The General Authority of Zakat, Tax and Customs confirmed imports reached more than 1.7 million units in 2024 and 684,489 to date in 2025, with China, Japan and the United States as leading sources.
Meanwhile, the Communications, Space and Technology Commission’s Saudi Internet Report 2024 shows digital infrastructure improvements boosting game performance, with response times for popular titles improving by 88%. The report also outlines shifting platform preferences; 24.2% of users now prefer smart devices, closely followed by 23.8% on PlayStation. For the 10–19 age group, PlayStation is the most popular; older demographics favour smart devices. The most downloaded mobile games include Whiteout Survival, Roblox and Subway Surfers.
Esports World Cup 2025
On the esports front, Riyadh’s Esports World Cup 2025 runs from July 7 to August 24 and has emerged as the largest event of its kind. The tournament features approximately 2,000 players representing 200 clubs from over 100 countries, competing across 25 tournaments in 24 game titles for a prize pool exceeding $70 million.
The prize distribution includes $27 million for the Club Championship, more than $38 million for individual game championships, $450,000 in MVP awards, and over $5 million for global qualifiers. The event has attracted high-profile ambassadors, including Cristiano Ronaldo and chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen. Carlsen also captured the rapid‑play chess title and a $250,000 prize.
In Valorant, held from July 8 to 13, Team Heretics staged a reverse sweep to beat Fnatic 3–2 in the final, claiming a $500,000 first prize from a tournament pool totalling $1.25 million.
League of Legends competition ran from July 16 to 20 under a three‑year partnership between Riot Games and the Esports World Cup Foundation. Gen.G claimed the title, defeating AG.AL 3–2.
