The esports industry is booming, but with its rapid growth come many challenges, particularly in health and wellness. The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) and King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC) have joined forces in a groundbreaking to address these concerns. This partnership seeks to focus on the health and wellness of esports athletes, innovative health programmes, and cutting-edge research to further the global esports industry.

This partnership was signed between Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation (pictured above on the left), and Prof. Abdullah Salman Alsalman, Acting President of King Saud University (pictured above on the right).

Memorandum of understanding (MoU) details

The partnership between SEF and KSUMC is a landmark stride in integrating health and wellness into esports. This three-year partnership is one of the first internationally established, mirroring the engagements being made by Saudi Arabia to become a leader in esports governance and innovation. In the current state of the esports industry, there has yet to be a consistent standard for anti-doping measures.

This new collaboration aims to fill that gap by conducting advanced research to identify what constitutes doping in esports and how to combat it. The collaboration hopes to establish fair play and integrity within the industry by creating unified guidelines.

Sitting for long hours in gaming can cause many health issues. SEF and KSUMC are working on promoting physical fitness programmes specifically for gamers. Such programmes will focus on posture, flexibility, and overall fitness exercises to keep esports athletes healthy.

A specialised medical committee will address health challenges unique to esports. This committee will focus on implementing anti-doping measures, promoting mental health awareness, and creating guidelines to prevent injuries.

Insights from the SEF chairman

Prince Faisal pushed this collaboration along very quickly. He envisions a better, healthier, and more inclusive environment for esports to thrive, under which governance and innovation play essential roles.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF), said in a release, “The memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Esports Federation and King Saud University Medical City positions Saudi as a global leader in esports governance and integrating health and wellness into esports. The words innovative and groundbreaking are often overused. Still, it is impossible to overstate how important this MoU could be for implementing physical and mental well-being initiatives in our nation and industry. This is particularly prevalent considering that there remains a lingering public perception among some that gaming is an unhealthy pastime.

“As a global-leading federation, we at SEF relish the responsibility of enhancing best practices in gaming and esports and improving the lives of our community. We feel this collaboration is full proof of that in action. The MoU advances public health, fosters innovation, and fully focuses on esports excellence and the vital health requirements to ensure esports excellence.”

 Integrating esports into Saudi Arabia’s future

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 emphasises diversification and innovation, and esports plays a pivotal role in this vision. The MoU supports the National Gaming and Esports Strategy, which aims to position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for gaming by 2030.

For the most part, gaming has always been known to be unhealthy; however, the collaboration tries to change this scenario. It points out the aspects of health and wellness to emphasise that gaming is a healthy activity, productive, and all-inclusive for those involved.

The partnership will benefit all participants of the SEF Career Pathway Strategy, including professionals, semi-professionals, youth, and retirees. Health is the first priority, thus ensuring career longevity and enhancing the quality of life for esports athletes.

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