Saudi Arabia is in the spotlight for esports enthusiasts around the world after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo officially announced the world's first Esports World Cup!

Mohammed Bin Salman revealed that Saudi Arabia will host an Esports World Cup in 2024, and is ready to claim that it will be the esports tournament with the largest prize pool in history.

Prince Mohammed is not a new face in the gaming industry. The Crown Prince is said to be a passionate gamer of the Call of Duty series, and has launched a USD 38 billion investment strategy for Savvy Games Group.

Prince Mohammed has roped in Al-Nassr and Portugal soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo to be part of the Esports World Cup 2024 launch.

The first edition of the Esports World Cup is expected to be held in the summer of 2024, replacing the Gamers8 esports tournament festival. The games to be included are yet to be determined, but Saudi Arabian officials assure that only the most popular games around the world will be competed in the Esports World Cup.

Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's ambitious move is one of the long-term projects of the Government of Saudi Arabia's national esports strategy. By 2030, the country aims to have 30 globally competitive games produced in their domestic studios.

The Esports World Cup also aims to create 39,000 esports-related jobs by 2030. In addition, the esports tournament is also expected to bring in more foreign tourists to vacation in the capital city of Riyadh, while turning the city into the 'Capital of Gaming'.