Saudi Arabia seeks to boost gaming community at Next World Forum

RIYADH: The Next World Forum, a major global industry gathering created to shape the future of the rapidly evolving gaming and esports sector, opened here this week with a host of top international participants.

High-profile guests from the worlds of gaming, entertainment, technology, sports and government, led discussions on an industry worth around $170 billion — more than Hollywood and the music industry combined. The two-day event, which concludes on Thursday, is being held at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Center.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, the organizers of the Next World Forum, was one of several speakers on the opening day on Wednesday. He shared his expertise on a panel titled “Creating the Gold Standard of the Competitive Gaming Scene.”

“The esports industry is one that changes on a daily basis, let alone a monthly or yearly basis. People always ask, ‘what’s going to change in the next 10 years?’ — but never ask ‘what’s going to stay the same over the next 10 years?’ And that might be the more important of the two. For us, that constant is the community and the gamers,” he said. “If we can keep focus on the fact that everything we’re doing is for our community then we set ourselves up to be in the best position for what’s coming up next.”

“Saudi Arabia’s aim is to become a global hub for gaming and esports, and hosting events such as Next World Forum are a key part on the journey to fulfilling that quest,” Prince Faisal added.

More than 2,500 delegates are attending the two days of the Next World Forum.

Gareth Bale, former star footballer, esports investor and enthusiast, and director of Primesure Ltd., appeared on a celebrity panel alongside