Leveling Up: Day One Wrap-Up of the New Global Sport Conference 2025

RIYADH: Riyadh didn’t just host a conference this weekend — it made history. Day One of the New Global Sport Conference 2025 (NGSC) transformed the Four Seasons Hotel into a global hub for the future of gaming, esports, and sports. More than 1,500 leaders, innovators, and creators from around the world came together to discuss one question: What comes next for the world of play?

And Saudi Arabia came to play in a big way. The Kingdom unveiled an ambitious master plan to solidify its position as a global esports powerhouse, announcing that the Esport Nations Cup will launch in November 2026 in Riyadh. The tournament promises to build national pride and deliver the kind of iconic moments gamers will remember for generations.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar, president of the Saudi Esports Federation, captured the transformation brought about by introducing international esports events to the Kingdom perfectly. “Three million people visited Riyadh in the middle of summer, despite the heat, to attend events like the Esports World Cup and the New Global Sport Conference,” he said. “These were times when, in the past, everything would shut down — restaurants, stores, hotels — but now, thanks to gaming and esports, the city is operating at full capacity.”

The investment driving this transformation is just as bold. Speaking at the conference, Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih said: “The gaming and esports sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, and the Kingdom views it as the ‘new oil,’ as it relies on our most important strategic resource — human capital.”

Another official added: “We are making massive investments in the esports sector because it connects technology, education, tourism, and