Sports economy will amount to SAR 18 bln by 2030, says SAFEIS President

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, the President of the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronics and Intellectual Sports (SAFEIS) said sports economy in the Kingdom will amount to SAR 18 billion by 2030.

He told Argaam, in an exclusive interview at the Future Investment Initiative 2019 in Riyadh, that this number is a reflection of consultants’ projection which showed that the sports industry will account for 0.8 to 1 percent of Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.

SAFEIS president added the federation has a three pronged attack; working with professional athletes who are considered its narrow mandate, ensuring high quality education and mapping out future plans.

He explained further that SAFEIS registers professionals the General Sports Authority (GSA) as athletes, therefore, people who visit Saudi Arabia to attend tournaments are granted athlete visa.

The second approach is based on educating the youth to become e-sports professional athletes, enhance their physical, mental and social health, as well as interacting with people, media, teammates, and handling being on stage with all the pressure, the prince noted.

As for the third approach, SAFEIS supports professional e-players on the long run to become commentators, work in the production and coaching fields, and gain ownership of teams.

He added the federation also aims to show these professionals that the skills they have learned in e-sports are applicable to other industries such as communications, leadership, technology, and quick thinking.

“We’re lucky in Saudi Arabia for having a very strong female gaming population. We’re about 52% male 48% female and we have a lot of good talent,” SAFEIS president said commenting on the role of female e-players.

He stressed that his job entails showcasing that Saudi females are just as “strong and competent” as their male counterparts.

The e-sports community is growing on a daily basis and the federation’s objectives fit perfectly within the Saudi Vision 2030.

“We are a young population, we have the talent and abilities to step up and show the world what we have. We have the opportunity to become a leader in the sports industry that has no leader yet,” Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan concluded addressing young Saudis.

Write to Christine El Cheikh at christine.elcheikh@argaamplus.com