Saudia Airlines Partners With POWR Esports Fusing Gaming & Travel

• Saudia Airlines has partnered with POWR Esports to reach out to Gen Z.
• The campaign will feature Fortnite experience and has roped in over 22 influencers and esports players.
• This collab aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to expand the Kingdom’s presence and influence in the global esports industry.

Saudia Airlines, the official airlines of Saudi Arabia, has now partnered with global esports agency POWR Esports to launch an exciting campaign fusing gaming, travel and entertainment in an effort to reach Gen Z.

The initiative is headed by Naif Aldawood, who holds the position of Marketing Specialist at POWR. Aldawood spoke about the initiative on LinkedIn, highlighting the "months of planning" and "creating" it took, while "flying through" several ideas in the process. The project, as per the post, intends to "establish Saudia as an active participant in youth culture, rather than merely a sponsor."

The project will include a virtual launch announcement along with "a Fortnite experience," a "branded map, mission design, and in-game moments," allowing "players to feel connected to the brand, not just see it."

The project also intends to render a helping hand in hosting of global esports tournaments. Currently, over 22 influencers and esports players are associated with the effort to increase the visibility of Saudia in the gaming arenas.

The scope of POWR Esports' involvement is yet to be revealed officially, however, the agency is expected to head the creative strategy and its execution. This project emphasizes how airlines are rapidly adopting esports to attract younger audiences for entertainment on-the-go. Earlier, ENCORE and Blast got into one such partnership that brought esports content to in-flight entertainment.

The Saudia Airlines × POWR Esports project draws on Saudia's previous gaming and sports investments. Back in July 2025, the airline company became the Official Airline Partner of the Esports World Cup 2025 Foundation.

Saudi Arabia and its Growing Dominance in Gaming Industry

This project reinforces the goals set by Saudi Arabia's National Gaming & Esports Strategy under Saudi Vision 2030, which will make the country a global gaming hotspot in the coming years. 

As per a PwC forecast (2024), the sector is expected to contribute $13.3 billion (about SAR 50 billion) to the GDP of Saudi Arabia and create nearly 39,000 jobs.

This campaign along with the very recent $55 billion EA deal (the largest leveraged buy-out (LBO) in gaming and interactive entertainment sector), showcases that Saudi Arabia is serious about growing its gaming and esports ecosystem.

Such decisions indicate a bigger economic diversification strategy, where revenue from travel and tourism funnels into digital entertainment and content creation, and vice-versa, creating a significantly larger economy in Saudi Arabia.