The Saudi gaming market is the most valuable among the Gulf countries, with an estimated value of one billion dollars in 2021. It is also among the highest rates in the world, with a growth rate of 22%. Saudi Arabia purchased two of the largest esports brands, with a value of 1.5 billion.
International organisations revealed that Saudi authorities waste billions of dollars on electronic games, festivals and parties, in order to cover up its horrific violations against citizens, while ignoring the people’s calls for reform.
The Wall Street Journal previously indicated that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s approach to flooding Saudi Arabia with entertainment activities aims to cover up the suppression of political freedoms in the Kingdom.
In a report, the newspaper stated that bin Salman worked to establish a new social reality, which is contradictory to the conservative reality of the Kingdom, in order to keep them silent about the suppression of political freedoms.
Sanad Organisation for Human Rights stressed that the entertainment activities sponsored by the Saudi government are negatively affecting the people, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman squanders public money on entertainment and parties, while depriving citizens of their rights to employment, housing, education, a better life standard and financial support.
Since the establishment of the Entertainment Authority, huge amounts of money were spent without accountability, while the Saudi citizen has become poor and lacking projects that serve the public interest.
A few days ago, an e-campaign under the hashtag #Stop_Riyadh_Season swept Twitter, where tweeters strongly criticised the decisions of the Crown Prince’s authority that shocked Saudi society in the absence of the Shura Council.
The tweeters emphasised that the problems of Saudi society will not be solved in cinemas, or by bringing in artists. On the contrary, the entertainment authority has caused a severe economic decline, doubling taxes, and high unemployment rates.
