Esports or electronic sports (referring organised competitions using computer games) has grown to become a cultural and economic phenomenon. Online gaming can no longer be considered a hobby but has become a new form of work and a legitimate career choice for many young people. This transformation began in the early 2000s with the development of online multi-player games. Now esports have global appeal with the 2024 League of Legends World Championship, attracting a peak audience of 6.86 million viewers. In 2027, there will see the first Olympic Esports Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The economic value of esports makes it a worthy component of GCC development plans. Globally the industry is estimated to be worth over $2.89 billion with a strong upward growth rate. In the UAE, the Dubai Programme for Gaming 3033 initiative highlights the emirate’s vision for becoming a world-leading gaming hub. Developments include establishing the Dubai Gaming Visa that offers a 10-year residency for qualified gaming professionals such as players, content creators and professionals with proven experience and talent in the gaming field. This support given by private and state investment provides esports participants with a stable working environment making it a viable professional career for talented individuals.
Winning at esports is lucrative with professional players and teams competing for international prizes up to US $40million. Successful esports players can generate income from a range of sources, including tournament winnings, team salary, sponsorship, streaming revenue and merchandise sales. There are a range of job roles and careers within esports beyond being a gamer, like other areas of sporting activity there are coaches, managers, referees, agents, event mangers, PR and marketing, data analysts, commentators, and esports psychologists. From 2025 within the UAE it is possible to study for an MBA with a specialism in esports management.
However, in common with other areas of the digital economy there are many freelance contracts which align work to the global gig economy. Players particularly can experience fluctuations in income which is linked to their success at tournaments, performance-based bonuses, and individual streaming revenue. In common with other new digital careers such as social media influencing, the worker demographic is young and eager to gain early success. Worker inexperience means that they enter into unfair contracts that might mean payment at less than market rates, excessively long practice hours and the forfeiture of intellectual property rights. Esports workers can commonly not be provided with benefits like health insurance or retirement plans. For esports players the pressure to win and high-level performance can lead to significant burnout and mental health issues. For the professional firms, supporting esports activity the rapid growth of the industry means that managers must balance their strategy between meeting rapid growth whilst controlling resource costs or risk over-reaching their financial limits.
Within esports globally there is a concentration of ownership and influence in a few major organisations and government-backed entities which sets market conditions. This means a lack of oversight of contractual conditions, limited player representation, financial instability for companies at the lower levels and unequal profit distribution. However, unlike the player-team-games publisher dynamic in the US, uniquely Gulf governments are key stakeholders leading to greater influence over the competitive ecosystem. This centralised control can ensure stability and rapid growth. The success of national esports strategies can be measured in sustainable economic output and job creation that ensures the protection of workers, and which grows a diverse business ecosystem. Worldwide, with International Olympic Committee support, the esports industry is beginning to focus on setting standards for player welfare, including practice hour limitations and minimum contract standards.
In conclusion, the development of esports within the Gulf is a reminder of how technology provides opportunities for enterprising individuals to pioneer new job roles. The esports sector’s rapid growth and economic benefits have created new form of professional work. Just like a career in social media influencing, esports work can seem a glamourous and lucrative career but there are also the same gig economy challenges of income fluctuations and poor working conditions. Within the Gulf, governments are providing leadership by delivering investment and creating legal frameworks such as the Dubai Gaming Visa to help ensure that esports sector growth contributes sustainably to future economic success.
