RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s EGZ was crowned champions in the main competition as American R&B star Jason Derulo ended the three-day Nexus gaming festival with a spectacular performance in Riyadh on Saturday.
The festival, an initiative of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA), was the first to be staged by Riot Games in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as part of its strategy to promote electronic sports in the region.
Hundreds of people gathered at Riyadh Boulevard to witness the finals of the six competitions based on the League of Legends, and to enjoy a variety of activities and attractions.
EGZ won $400,000 as part of the total $2 million prize fund after defeating Nasr Esports in the main 5v5 Summoners Rift competition.
Coach Paul Ouani said that the festival was a great learning experience for his team and he hopes Riot Games can build on this success.
“Having the Nexus festival here is a great decision. There is enormous potential in e-sports, especially in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. With many people watching online and live at venues, it will only get bigger,” he said
Other winners included Bassel (5v5 influencer final) and Abdulrahman Toxichill Bahmaid (1v1 champion).
As well as promoting gaming, the three-day festival also featured a music concert by US line-ups Mako and the Crystal Method, and a variety of entertainment.
Onur Tamer, METAI general manager of Riot Games, said: “As the first event on this scale for the region, it was a fantastic effort by the whole team. We have delivered something that the community has been expecting for a long time and it was great to see strong turnout during the three days.
“Attracting people of different ages is crucial in this region and we wanted to focus on three pillars — the gaming tournament, the festival area where the players would interact, and the musical experiences. We delivered that and everything was great, especially the cosplay, where a lot of people were interested.
“It is not just about gaming but going beyond that and opening League of Legends and e-sports to all people in this region,” he said.
“This event has shown that a lot of people have embraced the opportunity of visiting and learning more about League of Legends.”
Tamer said that future plans include an Arabic version of League of Legends.
“People want us to create a specific Arabic character, but it really depends on the creativity and bringing everything together to make it happen,” he said.
Saudi gamers lead the way at Nexus e-sports festival
Saudi gamers lead the way at Nexus e-sports festival
- The 3-day festival ended with a spectacular performance by R&B singer Jason Derulo
- The festival aims to promote electronic sports in the region
KSrelief distributes winter aid to Gaza students
RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief recently distributed winter clothing to students at educational sites in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip as part of its campaign to support the Palestinian people.
The initiative addresses the growing needs of students continuing their education under difficult circumstances, with classes held in tents after most schools and educational facilities were destroyed.
Meanwhile, the 80th Saudi relief airplane operated by KSrelief arrived at El Arish International Airport in Egypt, in coordination with the Ministry of Defense and the Saudi Embassy in Cairo.
The airplane is carrying food baskets and shelter kits for distribution to affected Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip. The supplies are part of Saudi support to help alleviate the difficult living conditions in Gaza.
Since its establishment in 2015, KSrelief has implemented 147 projects in Palestine worth about $533 million, covering food security, early recovery, water, sanitation and hygiene, health, camp coordination, education, protection, emergency aid, and nutrition.
