GENEVA (AP) — The IOC and Saudi Arabia have canceled their 12-year deal to host the video gaming Esports Olympics in Riyadh in a rare setback for a sports project backed by the oil-rich kingdom.

The International Olympic Committee said on Thursday they “mutually agreed that they will end their cooperation on the Olympic Esports Games.”

An official Olympic event shaped as a signature asset in the Saudi drive to acquire and develop sports as part of the Vision 2030 modernization program driven by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is known to be a video gaming fan.

“At the same time, both parties are committed to pursuing their own esports ambitions on separate paths,” the Olympic body said, announcing a reset of a major project seven months into the presidency of Kirsty Coventry.

The

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