Saudi Esports Federation, Qiddiya join forces for world’s biggest esports festival

The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) and Qiddiya today announced their partnership ahead of the second edition of Gamers8, the biggest gaming and esports festival worldwide. Qiddiya will be the ‘Nexus Partner’ for Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, organized by SEF, which runs for eight weeks this summer starting July 6 at Boulevard Riyadh City.

Qiddiya, founded on the pillars of entertainment, sports, and culture, is being built on the doorstep of Riyadh and when completed will be vibrant and livable attracting visitors from all over the Kingdom and the international community. Qiddiya is set to become home to innovative and immersive gaming experiences offering its residents an opportunity to live in the global center of the gaming multiverse developed specifically for the gaming community. 

During Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, which has a world record prize pool of $45 million, Qiddiya will provide exciting purpose-built immersive and interactive experiences. The festival concludes with the Next World Forum – a gaming and esports symposium – bringing together sector leaders and experts from around the world who can experience various on-site activations.

Saudi Esports Federation CEO, Turki Al-Fawzan, said: “The Saudi Esports Federation is delighted to announce Qiddiya as our Nexus Partner for Gamers8: The Land of Heroes. The new entertainment landmark is sure to play a starring role in the sustained rise of gaming and esports across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the years ahead. Given our shared vision for growing this increasingly vibrant and influential sector and providing new opportunities to all, we have absolute confidence that our partnership will be a resounding success and one that ensures the second edition of Gamers8 leaves behind a lasting legacy. We are excited to begin working with our partners and friends at Qiddiya and look forward to releasing further details in due course, including those surrounding our entertainment and immersive experiences plans.”

Qiddiya Managing Director and Board Member, Abdullah AlDawood said: “Our partnership with the Saudi Esports Federation shows our commitment to Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, the Next World Forum and to gaming fans and entertainment enthusiasts around the world. Through such partnerships, Qiddiya aims to become the leading entertainment, sports and cultural destination globally, while also fulfilling the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 that seeks to build an ambitious nation with a vibrant society and a thriving economy. I invite everyone to watch this space closely as Qiddiya has exciting plans for gaming and esports that we hope to announce later this year.”

Full details of the elite gaming titles taking place at Gamers8: The Land of Heroes this summer will be announced in due course. The entertainment extravaganza also offers live music concerts from international stars and a multitude of other attractions and activities. 

Excitement and momentum ahead of Gamers 8: The Land of Heroes reached new levels with the recently concluded Gamers Without Borders, the world’s largest charitable esports event, which returned for the fourth consecutive year from April 10 and ran for six weeks. Hosted by SEF, the virtual event held five tournaments across four major gaming titles: StarCraft II, CS:GO (with separate men and women’s events), Rocket League, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege. The winning teams and players from StarCraft II, Rocket League, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege advanced to the upcoming finals at Gamers8: The Land of Heroes.  

Players and teams that participated at GWB’s 2023 CS:GO, Rocket League, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege tournaments had the chance to compete for a $10 million charity prize pool. In addition to the donations through elite competitions, GWB also offered the chance for everyone to donate and make a difference by choosing a charity

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