The Esports World Cup quickly turned Riyadh into one of the biggest destinations on the competitive gaming calendar. The event features dozens of titles and offers a massive prize pool. It also brings nearly two months of finals to Riyadh during the Saudi summer. Thousands of fans now travel to the city for the event. Most arrive with the same three questions. How do I get a visa? How do I get online? What can I do between the matches I came to see? Here is the practical version.
The event itself
The tournament runs throughout the summer at Boulevard Riyadh City. This purpose-built entertainment district sits on the north side of the capital. Visitors can easily walk between the arena, fan zone, and food halls within the district. Dates and game lists change every year, so check the organiser’s site before booking. However, the overall structure remains similar each year. The event operates as a long festival with a rolling schedule of finals rather than a single weekend. Many fans plan four or five days around the titles they care about most.
The visa
Citizens of 66 countries qualify for the Saudi tourist eVisa. The visa remains valid for one year and allows visits of up to 90 days. The eligible list includes most of Europe, North America, Australia, and East Asia. Travelers can apply online through the official Visit Saudi platform. Eligible travelers can also get a visa upon arrival at Riyadh’s King Khalid airport. This option can cost slightly less because travelers avoid the online platform fee. Citizens of other Gulf states can enter using their national ID without a visa. Travelers with passports outside the eligible list must arrange a visa in advance. Check the requirements before buying your flight, not afterward.
The days in between
- Boulevard Riyadh City itself, which is an entertainment district year-round: cinemas, restaurants, an indoor arcade scale that makes most Western malls look small.
- Diriyah, the restored mud-brick birthplace of the Saudi state on the edge of the city, a UNESCO site whose Bujairi Terrace restaurants are the best evening out in the city.
- The National Museum, one of the region’s best, for a cool afternoon.
- The gold souq, which is where almost every visitor ends up, usually on the last day.
The souvenir most visitors leave with is gold: Riyadh’s gold souq in Batha sells at the same national metal price as any mall jeweller, and the only thing you negotiate is the making charge. That is worth understanding before you walk in. The gold price per gram is set nationally from the world price at the riyal’s fixed rate against the dollar, so no shop is cheaper on the metal; the difference between shops is the fee for the workmanship, which is lower in the old Batha market than in a mall chain and lowest on simple pieces like plain chains. The standard karat is 21K, stamped 875, a deeper yellow than the 14K and 18K most Western buyers know.
Ask for the weight, the per-gram rate and the making charge as three separate numbers, and you will pay what a local pays.
| Item | Budget (5 days, per person) | Notes |
| Visa | About SAR 480 to 540 | Visa on arrival slightly cheaper than online |
| SIM and data | SAR 100 to 150 | Weekly unlimited plan plus the SIM itself |
| Airport to hotel | SAR 60 to 120 | Ride-hail or taxi |
| Getting around | SAR 150 to 250 | Metro plus ride-hail |
| Event tickets | Varies by title | Many fan-zone days are free; finals are ticketed |
| Hotel, mid-range | SAR 350 to 600 a night | Book early; the city fills during the finals |
| Food | SAR 80 to 150 a day | Cheap if you eat where locals eat |
| Gold souvenir | From about SAR 550 | A one-gram 21K piece; metal price plus making charge plus VAT |
Three rules for a smooth trip
- Get the SIM before you leave the airport; every app you will use, from ride-hailing to the event’s own, wants a local number.
- Riyadh is conservative in dress and public behaviour compared with Dubai; modest clothing in public spaces is expected of everyone, and it is enforced more by social norm than by police.
- Carry a card and some cash both; card payment is universal in the malls and the arena, but the old souqs still prefer cash for small items.
Fares and fees checked September 2026; event dates and the games list change each year, so confirm them with the organiser.
