• Tournaments in eFootball and Valorant, with separate male and female competitions, will take place during Gamers8: The Land of Heroes at Boulevard Riyadh City this weekend

RIYADH: The Afro-Arab Esports League launched in Riyadh on Friday featuring 25 member nations across the African and Arab world.

The league has been launched to enhance the competitive level of esports across member nations, while utilizing esports’ dynamic spirit and the power of gaming to unite people across borders, cultures, and backgrounds.

Riyadh will host the initial tournaments of the Afro-Arab Esports League this weekend at Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, the biggest gaming and esports festival worldwide. Tournaments in eFootball and Valorant, featuring separate male and female competitions, will take place at the Challenge Zone within Boulevard Riyadh City at Gamers8.

The 25 nations that make up the Afro-Arab Esports League are: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, UAE, Tunisia, Senegal, Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Cameroon, Mali, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Burkina Faso, Jordan, Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, South Africa, Namibia, and Nigeria.

HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, and Chairman of the Arab Esports Federation, said: “The Afro-Arab Esports League is a testament to the growing importance of esports in both the African and Arab worlds and a key way to create space for cultural exchange and cooperation among the 25 participating countries. Together, we herald a future where unity knows no bounds, where the thrill of competition unites us, and where the passion for gaming brings nations together.”

His Excellency Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports, said: “We thank HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan for his support in setting up the Afro-Arab Esports League and the inaugural tournaments here in Riyadh. The importance and development opportunities from gathering African and Arab youths together for competitions can’t be overstated.”

Future tournaments will be announced in due course.

Gamers8: The Land of Heroes recap

Organized by the Saudi Esports Federation, eight-week long Gamers8: The Land of Heroes has a prize pool of $45 million – triple that of Gamers8 last year. The biggest gaming and esports festival worldwide features 16 elite esports tournaments from 13 top titles, as well as community gaming and educational platforms. These are complemented by live concerts from top global, regional, and local artists, as well as numerous fun-filled activities and attractions for the whole family.

The festival concludes with the Next World Forum, a gaming and esports forum held at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Center on August 30-31, that brings together sector leaders and experts from around the world.

Further details, including ticket sales, are available on the event website.

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About Gamers8 – The Land of Heroes:

Gamers8: The Land of Heroes is the biggest gaming and esports festival worldwide and the destination for elite esports champions and gaming universe lovers.

Organized by the Saudi Esports Federation, Gamers8: The Land of Heroes – which revolves around six pillars: compete, amuse, rhythm, challenge, meet, and learn – runs from July 6 and lasts for eight entertainment-packed weeks at Boulevard Riyadh City.

The festival features 16 elite esports tournaments from 13 top titles, live concerts from more than 20 local, regional, and international artists, more than 1,000 activities and attractions, festivals, shows, community gaming, education platforms, and fun for all ages.

Gamers8: The Land of Heroes has a total prize pool of $45 million, triple that of Gamers8 last year. The elite tournaments this year are: Fortnite, Tekken 7 Nations Cup, PUBG Mobile World Invitational, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege, Dota 2, ESL R1, StarCraft II, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), Rocket League, PUBG Global Series 2, three FIFAe tournaments, and Street Fighter 6.

The inaugural Gamers8 festival in 2022 was attended by more than 1.4 million visitors and watched by more than 132 million people around the globe.

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About SEF:

The Saudi Esports Federation is the regulating body in charge of nurturing elite gaming athletes and developing the gaming community and industry in Saudi Arabia.

The Federation’s activities are categorized into two complementary streams. The first stream works to develop all levels of competitive gamers, starting with the grassroots community level and moving up to professional esports athletes that can achieve global excellence. The second stream works to develop the entire gaming/esports value chain by catalyzing the industry and enabling talent. 

Since its establishment in late 2017, the federation has organized multiple world-class national and international tournaments and events, attracted investment from local private sector actors and worked with international developers on opportunities in the Saudi market.