Prince William plays esports in Riyadh during three-day diplomatic visit

British Prince William took part in an esports tournament during the second day of his official visit to Riyadh.

The video shows the British king-to-be sitting in front of a computer setup at the Saudi Esports Federation’s SEF Arena and playing a video game via remote play controller.

The 43-year-old royal was joined by several esports officials from Saudi Arabia, including Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation and the Arab Esports Federation.

He also met with young footballers in the Saudi capital, including female athletes. 

This comes after Saudi Arabia introduced reforms expanding women's participation in sporting events as it lifted the ban on physical education for girls in 2017 and also allowed women to attend sporting events in stadiums in 2018.

Prince William gifted an England football shirt, worn by captain Harry Kane, to the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS).

The British royal’s three-day visit at the request of the government of the United Kingdom (U.K.) is being considered a diplomatic test for the future king.

The U.K. wants to strengthen relations between the two kingdoms and particularly with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Prince William's visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) comes after MBS travelled to London for a three-day visit in 2018, which included lunch with the queen and dinner with William, then Duke of Cambridge, and his wife Catherine.