Saudi Arabia E-sports Olympics Postponed to 2027

The inaugural E-sports Olympics, which was to be hosted by Saudi Arabia in 2025, has been postponed for two years. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Tuesday that the Games would be hosted in 2027 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The IOC also said that the journey to the Games would start this year with the first competitions.

Saudi Arabia initially received the hosting rights for the E-sports Olympics in July 2024 for a period of 12 years. President of the IOC Thomas Bach met with Saudi leaders in Riyadh to discuss the postponement and said the way forward to the event is now clear. Saudi authorities also said they were confident of the new schedule.

The choice to stage major sporting occasions in Saudi Arabia has been provocative, with the nation being charged with attempting to utilize sports in order to divert attention away from its human rights record, something referred to as “sportswashing.” Saudi Arabia has nevertheless denied that and justified itself on grounds of national security.