From desert cycling tours to gaming tournaments, Saudi Arabia has staged over 100 major sporting events across 40 disciplines since 2019, emerging as one of the world’s most exciting destinations for sports fans.A jam-packed sporting calendar for 2025 exemplifies the scale of Saudi ambition, with the Jeddah Grand Prix and Esports World Cup set to captivate audiences this summer ahead of the hotly anticipated 2027 AFC Asian Cup, 2029 Asian Winter Games, and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.All this action comes as part of Saudi Vision 2030, a development strategy aiming to build a more inclusive and sustainable future for the Kingdom and attract 150 million annual visitors by 2030.Designing the stadiums of tomorrowSaudi Arabia’s transformation into a global sports hub has been powered by massive investment and strategic leadership under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Backed by a generous Public Investment Fund (PIF), the Kingdom is showcasing an open, future-facing sporting culture through world-class events and cutting-edge infrastructure.Flagship projects like Qiddiya Gaming & Esports District and NEOM’s Oxagon & Trojena smart city resorts reflect this ambition. The recently launched Riyadh Sports Boulevard, a vast park stretching more than 135km across the capital, is also transforming urban life. Features include walking trails, cycle paths, horse-riding trails, open-air gyms and green spaces designed to promote active living. One major addition to the boulevard is the 130-metre-tall Global Sports Tower, set to become the world’s tallest sports hub. Once completed in 2026, it will home over 30 sports facilities including a rooftop running track, state-of-the-art training spaces and a 98 m indoor climbing wall for both elite athletes and the public.Sustainability is also at the core of Saudi sporting development, with climate-adaptive stadiums and green technologies supporting Saudi Arabia’s commitment to balancing growth with environmental goals. As well as signalling a new era of sustainable innovation in sports with events such as Formula E and the UIM E1 electric raceboat championship, authorities are prioritising eco-focused infrastructure projects such as Diriyah, former home to the E-Prix street race, and recently recognised as one of the Global Eco-Friendly Destinations for 2025 by the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDSM).A packed calendar of global showdownsSaudi Arabia’s 2025 sporting calendar is as diverse as it is ambitious, featuring high-stakes tournaments and landmark fixtures across disciplines.BoxingThe Kingdom continues to dominate the global boxing scene. Following the historic Fury vs Usyk clash in May 2024, Riyadh looks forward to even more drama this year, with the WBC Boxing Grand Prix and the Riyadh Season Finale still to come late in 2025, featuring multiple championship bouts.MotorsportPetrolheads saw an adrenaline-fuelled Dakar Rally kicking off 2025 in January, while the ABB FIA Formula E, Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and Rally Saudi Arabia brought high-octane action to Jeddah in February, March and May respectively. Cycling & racingThe scenic AlUla Tour showcased Saudi Arabia’s dramatic desert landscapes in February 2025. Looking ahead to August, the AlUla Desert Blaze returns as one of the hottest races events of the summer, where runners tackle 5km, 10km, 21km, and 42km across breathtaking desert terrain.Horse racingFebruary’s Saudi Cup Weekend brought the world’s finest thoroughbreds to Riyadh’s King Abdulaziz Racecourse, competing for a prize pot of €30 million (US$35 million), marking one of the richest events globally.TennisTennis frames the summer season in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Open launched the calendar in April this year, setting the stage for later showdowns. Looking ahead, the WTA Finals will return to Riyadh in November, with elite singles players and doubles teams contesting a €13 million (US$15.25 million) prize pool. December will feature the ATP Next Gen Finals in Jeddah, spotlighting the world’s top male players under 21.GolfThe LIV Golf League has already held marquee tournaments in King Abdullah Economic City earlier this year. With additional events set for NEOM and Qiddiya later in 2025, Saudi Arabia’s golfing calendar continues to draw global attention.FootballEarlier this year, Riyadh hosted the Spanish Super Cup and Italian Super Cup, bringing European heavyweights to Saudi soil. Meanwhile, the star-studded Saudi Pro League season (August 2024 – May 2025) drew players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. As the 2025–26 football season begins this August, preparations are also ramping up for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 and the FIFA World Cup 2034. EsportsSaudi Arabia will host the inaugural Esports World Cup in summer 2025, a landmark event bringing together elite gamers and fans from across the globe.Elsewhere in the world of sport, the World Pool Championship and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters will take place in July and August respectively, followed by the debut FIBA Asia Cup basketball tournament in August. The latest edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games is also set for November 2025, a multi-disciplinary tournament bringing athletes from across the Islamic world together in Riyadh to celebrate unity, diversity and sporting excellence.Looking further ahead, Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in 2026, the AFC Asian Cup in 2027, and the Asian Winter Games in 2029 at Trojena, a futuristic mountain resort being built as part of the NEOM smart city project.The digital frontier: esports takes centre stageSaudi Arabia, with its young, tech-savvy population (50 per cent under 30), is staking its claim as the global hub for competitive gaming, backed by major investments in gaming infrastructure and world-leading tournaments. Riyadh has become the beating heart of this transformation, with venues like Riyadh Front & Boulevard City evolving into vibrant gaming districts designed for large-scale events such as Gamers8 Festival and the Olympic Esports Games from 2027. This summer, the Esports World Cup (7 July–24 August 2025) is set to transform Riyadh into a festival of digital sports, hosting weekly competitions across 25 titles and offering a staggering €60 million (US$70 million) prize pool. Beyond gameplay, EWC also offers entertainment and immersive fan experiences that showcase gaming’s crossover with music and pop culture, with musical performances from global stars like Post Malone and Karry Wang.Women are also breaking new ground in this space: they now account for 20 per cent of Saudi gamers — four times the global average. Trailblazers such as Modhi Alkanhal and Najd Fahad, the first Saudi women to win international gaming titles, are inspiring a new generation of players.As early as this summer, Riyadh is hosting the Esports World Cup (7 July-24 August 2025) bringing together top-tier gamers from across the globe to compete across 25 esports titles and a prize pool of around €60 million (US$70 million). Interestingly, women make up 20 per cent of Saudi gamers, compared to just 5 per cent globally. Trailblazers like Modhi Alkanhal and Najd Fahad have become the first Saudi women to clinch international gaming titles, marking a milestone for diversity and recognition in digital sport.Inclusion and women’s sportsAt the core of Saudi Arabia’s sporting transformation is a focus on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), accessibility and sustainability. Recent progress in these areas is demonstrated by equal opportunity initiatives such as the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program and the establishment of the Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) which promotes community sports and physical activity to all citizens. “The significance is huge,” says Kim Clijsters, four-time Tennis Grand Slam Singles Champion and former World No.1. “With the help of the PIF WTA Maternity Fund Program, I think this is going to be a career-changing opportunity for a lot of players.”The development of inclusive ecosystems, events and career pathways have been critical in boosting female participation in public sports and mixed-gender events. As a result, Saudi taekwondo competitor Dunya Abutaleb recently became the first Saudi woman to qualify for an Olympics on her own merit at Paris 2024, while Hattan Al Saif made history as the first Saudi woman to sign a global MMA promotion in 2023. Within the F1 Academy, Farah Alyousef, made her debut on home soil as the Wild Card entrant at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The Saudi national women’s football team is also celebrating a huge milestone in 2025 as it enters into the FIFA World Rankings for the first time.A summer that signals something biggerThe future-focused Saudi sports strategy is already attracting the world’s attention. In 2024, the Kingdom welcomed 116 million tourists – 14 million of which attended sporting events.In summer 2025, spectator numbers will rise higher, with global fans drawn to high-profile events such as the WTA Finals, the WBC Boxing Grand Prix, and the inaugural Esports World Cup.For female athletes like Farah Alyousef as well as the millions of fans discovering new heroes, this summer represents momentum, as Saudi Arabia ushers in a new era of inclusive, world-class sports.If you’re looking to experience a Saudi summer of sport, plan your visit around Saudi Arabia’s crammed sporting calendar – Horseback Archery World Cup in AlUla anyone? – or visit the sporting hubs of Riyadh and Jeddah at any time.Be a part of it. Be bold. Visit Saudi.