His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan is the Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) and the Arab Esports Federation, positions he has held since their establishment in 2017. He is also the President of the International Esports Federation, GCC Esports Federation, and the Vice Chairman of Savvy Games Group since its establishment. Under his leadership, the federation quickly grew the range of its activities to become the leading Saudi entity in charge of growing the National Gaming and Esports Strategy. Initially, the federation focused on providing gamers with platforms to become athletes. Now, SEF lives at the center of the Saudi esports ecosystem, to open doors and enable all that want to grow it. His vision for the federation is to create an impact that generates a ripple effect, evolving sectors and services that were traditionally thought to be unrelated to esports. He moved the federation from its original model of one-time large events to a sustainable and long-lasting model of creating IPs that will grow with time and provide a stable career path in the many disciplines that surround professional competitive gaming. As a result, today the Saudi Esports Federation is seen as the subject matter expert in gaming and esports that is coordinating government action, guiding investors, and providing gamers with platforms to compete and socialize in Saudi Arabia. Yet, long before his official role as the leader of the Saudi and gaming and esports movement, HRH Prince Faisal has always had a passion for the industry. An avid gamer from youth and a believer in the storytelling power of video games, HRH always believed that the Arab world could be the source of some of the best stories to be told via this medium. “What is known as the Arab world is the cradle of civilization, at a point in time we have been known as the keepers of history. For centuries we have been known for our storytelling. I believe we can create the most captivating stories that form the basis of video games. Through them, we can share tales of culture and societies.” – HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan As the son of HRH Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the former Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States of America from 1983 – 2005, Prince Faisal spent much of his early years in the US, where he graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in 2003 with BA in telecommunications.
