The fans flooded through the streets of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by the thousands, kept cool by mist machines in the 110-degree heat. A 30-foot-tall replica gold trophy towered over onlookers at the city’s center. For a moment, covered in beams of brightly colored light, a country defined by tradition looked futuristic. It was the inaugural Esports World Cup, a coming-out party for Saudi Arabia’s growing video game industry. As part of its plan to diversify its economy from oil, the Saudi government has said it will invest $38 billion in video games by 2030 through its Public Investment Fund, known as the P.I.F., a wealth fund that manages $700 billion.

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Organizations: Public Investment Fund Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi