The Gulf is getting serious about gaming. Following successful new esports and gaming events in Saudi Arabia, the UAE has launched and announced several of its own.
Here's a round-up of the region's best so far, and what's still in store.
The Mena Gaming and eSports Summit
The Mena Gaming and Esports Summit concluded in Dubai on Thursday, the second major event of its kind to be held in the GCC this month alone.
Organised by Verve Management, in association with the UAE's Emirates Esports Federation, the two-day event saw speakers from across the world descend on Dubai's Conrad Hotel to discuss the latest trends in global esports.
Among the event's guest speakers was Matthew Pickering, who joined as chief executive of Power League Gaming in 2020 — overseeing a period of rapid growth for the company. Pickering said: “Esports and gaming are the fastest growing media verticals in the world; within this, the Mena region is the most rapidly growing geography globally."
The summit brought together developers, publishers, distributors, sports organisations, influencers, media outlets, leagues and competitions, to discuss the region's esports ecosystem. Asides from trends in programming and the impact of cloud-based and AI-powered technologies, participants explored the future of esports in the region.
The international gaming industry is forecasted to become a $340bn heavyweight by 2027, and Mena's gaming market is projected to increase by almost a fifth to more than $5bn. The region is home to more than 100 million gamers, and the world's fastest gaming market, thanks to a young, tech-savvy population.
Next World Forum
Mena Gaming and eSports Summit followed on from the Next World Forum, an event by the Saudi Esports Federation, which took place in Riyadh last week. The event brought together leaders from the gaming world to discuss future opportunities provided by the industry in Saudi Arabia. Like the Mena Gaming and eSports Summit, the event highlighted the young population in Saudi Arabia as a major driving force for the sector.
“We have a population of 34-odd million in Saudi Arabia and 63 per cent, or approximately 21 million, consider themselves gamers," Federation president Prince Faisal bin Bandar said. "So this is a community of gamers and what we are doing is something that they've been looking for and striving towards. This is not just a passion, but it's also a work path and it is what they want to do on a daily basis.
“They want the opportunity to work hand in hand with government organisations and the private sector to really build something that will showcase their skills on a global stage."
That approach is already bearing fruit, he said, noting Gamers8, a two-month gaming festival in Riyadh, and the annual esports charity tournament Gamers Without Borders.
Saudi mega projects, including Neom and Qiddiya, have also recognised the potential of gaming not just in entertainment but as a social tool — with Qiddiya's managing director Abdullah Aldawood saying the entertainment destination would have a neighbourhood "designed by gamers for gamers".
Games for Change
Building on the momentum, another major gaming conference is slated to take place next month, this time in Abu Dhabi.
The first Games for Change summit in the Middle East and North Africa will be held on October 11. The two-day event is organised by Games for Change and Abu Dhabi Gaming. It aims to connect 300 figures from Abu Dhabi’s gaming industry with international experts, to discuss best practices and innovations in gaming.
Held in partnership with the US Mission to the UAE and twofour54, the summit will include a series of talks, panels, workshops, networking events and an interactive arcade — exploring the business trends driving the gaming industry.
Participants will also hear independent game developers and entrepreneurs from around the globe share their experiences of the industry, as well as how games have been used to address social issues surrounding education, healthcare and climate change.
The Games for Change Summit is part of a partnership between Games for Change, the UAE and the US. This year, G4C teamed up with Aldar Education and Abu Dhabi Gaming to launch a virtual exchange programme connecting young people in the US and Mena, called Game Exchange.
Students around the world are designing games together that will address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals under the themes of human rights, sustainable societies and a healthy planet. Some of these titles will be exhibited as part of the G4C Summit in Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi Blast World Premiere Final
Abu Dhabi Gaming has also partnered with international esports brand Blast to bring the Premier World Final to Abu Dhabi — where the world's elite Counter-Strike: Global Offensive teams will battle one another for their slice of a $1 million prize pool.
Running from December 14 to 18, the tournament will see eight of the best teams go head-to-head at Yas Island's Etihad Arena. It is the seventh and final event on the annual Blast Premier tournament calendar.
Abu Dhabi's first Blast World Final will involve the FaZe Clan, who rose to the top of the ESL Pro League Season 15 and PGL Antwerp Major, face down NAVI, who won the Spring Final in Lisbon — with six more teams set to be confirmed later in the year.
Charlotte Kenny, managing director of Blast Premier, said the Counter-Strike World Final was the "ultimate" fan experience in esports and will bring its "electrifying, adrenaline-pumped" atmosphere to the city.
Anime & Gaming Festival, Al Ain
The Anime and Gaming Festival will be held in Al Ain Mall from October 7 to 9. The three-day event will celebrate several aspects of pop culture. It will include activities, exhibitions, cosplay parades as well gaming and esports tournaments.
Organised in partnership with Uprizing, the event is the first anime convention in Al Ain. It is free and will include performances by local musicians as well as panel discussions on anime and gaming. Esports tournaments will challenge players in Fifa 23, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Valorant and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Dubai Esports Festival
The inaugural Dubai Esports Festival will take place from November 9 to 20 — and will be the first international leisure event to be held at the Dubai Exhibition Centre following the end of Expo 2020 Dubai.
It will include a gaming competition that will pit some of the world’s best players against each other. The Initiate Summit, meanwhile, will bring together industry experts, esports stars and investors.
At the GameExpo, visitors can experience a range of video games, from retro classics to the latest big-budget releases. The events are organised by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai World Trade Centre.
Gamers8
Gamers8 festival in Saudi Arabia featured a range of events and concerts every weekend for eight weeks and a prize fund of up to $15 million. The event was hosted by the Saudi Esports Federation in the entertainment district Boulevard of Riyadh, alongside concerts by international and regional artists, including Lil Pump, Balquees, Russ, DJ Snake, Nancy Ajram, Hamaki, Disco Misr, Alan Walker and DJ Axwell.
"The goal of Gamers8 is to bring the virtual world of esports and gaming out into the physical realm of Riyadh,” Prince Faisal said of the event. “With that in mind, the capital city of our country renowned for its enthusiasm and huge fervour for gaming is the ideal setting for Gamers8."
Scroll through images of Abu Dhabi's esports and virtual-reality hub Pixoul Gaming below
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%3A%20Zywa%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202021%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Nuha%20Hashem%20and%20Alok%20Kumar%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20UAE%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%243m%3Cbr%3ECompany%20valuation%3A%20%2430m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eamana%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Farra%20and%20Ziad%20Aboujeb%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERegulator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDFSA%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinancial%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E85%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf-funded%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
ARSENAL IN 1977
Feb 05 Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
Feb 12 Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal
Feb 15 Middlesbrough 3-0 Arsenal
Feb 19 Arsenal 2-3 West Ham
Feb 26 Middlesbrough 4-1 Arsenal (FA Cup)
Mar 01 Everton 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 05 Arsenal 1-4 ipswich
March 08 Arsenal 1-2 West Brom
Mar 12 QPR 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 23 Stoke 1-1 Arsenal
Apr 02 Arsenal 3-0 Leicester
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool v Manchester City, Sunday, 8.30pm UAE
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
More from Aya Iskandarani
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'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
South Africa v India schedule
Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg
ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion
T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
match details
Wales v Hungary
Cardiff City Stadium, kick-off 11.45pm
THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 429hp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh360,200 (starting)
