- Members of the IOC will vote on the proposal at the 142nd IOC Session during the Paris Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has partnered with the KSA’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) in a proposal to host the first Olympic Esports Games 2025 in Saudi Arabia.
This comes shortly after the IOC’s executive board proposed the creation of the Olympic Esports Games which is set to be voted on by its members at the 142nd IOC Session during the Paris Olympics.
The partnership between the IOC and the Saudi NOC will span 12 years, with Olympic Esports Games held regularly across that time. Once the IOC makes its eventual decision as regards a succesful conclusion, work will begin on selecting a city and venue for the first Olympic Esports Games.
A new era for international sport
“We are very fortunate to be able to work with the Saudi NOC on the Olympic Esports Games, because it has great – if not unique – expertise in the field of esports with all its stakeholders,” says IOC president Thomas Bach.
“By partnering with the Saudi NOC we have also ensured that the Olympic values are respected, in particular, with regard to the game titles on the programme, the promotion of gender equality and engagement with the young audience, which is embracing esports,” Bath concludes.
“Saudi Arabia is hugely excited by the prospect of partnering with the IOC and helping to welcome a completely new era for international sport. We believe that to take part in the Olympic Games is one of the greatest honours any athlete can achieve,” said HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Arabian olympic and paralympic committee.
“We are proud to support the writing of a new chapter in Olympic history that has the potential to inspire new dreams and new ambitions for literally millions of athletes around the world… The world will have an open invitation to join us in 2025 and celebrate this moment together,” he added.