Saudi egamers begin battle for $1.1m prize pot

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Updated 26 November 2021
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Saudi egamers begin battle for $1.1m prize pot

Saudi Arabia’s top gamers have begun battling it out for a share of a SR4 million ($1.1million) prize pot at the Kingdom’s eLeague Champions event.

Winners from two other esports events held this year have come together for a final competition in Riyadh’s Media City, which kicked off on Friday, Nov. 26 and will finish on Dec. 25.

Some 32 players in four teams will fight it out across five games: “Rainbow Six Siege”, “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive”, “Call of Duty”, “Dota 2”, and “Overwatch.”

The eLeagues Champions tournament is evidence of the growing enthusiasm and thirst for gaming in the Kingdom, according to the Saudi Esports Federation, which revealed there were over 127,000 live-streaming viewers on a “Call of Duty” final day earlier in the year.

The organization’s president, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, said in a statement: “Saudi eLeagues is one of many Saudi-grown IPs (intellectual property) that has made me and my colleagues at the Federation extremely proud of all the hidden talents we discover with each title. 

“Saudi esports players are beyond words in terms of professionalism and sports spirit. They are everything we’ve strived to achieve at the Federation.”

In an interview with Arab News last month, the prince said that by 2030 the esports industry could contribute more than SR80 billion to Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product. 


UAE thwarts terrorist cyberattacks targeting vital sectors

Updated 22 February 2026
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UAE thwarts terrorist cyberattacks targeting vital sectors

DUBAI: The UAE successfully prevented terrorist cyberattacks that targeted the country’s digital infrastructure and vital sectors, in an attempt to destabilize the nation and disrupt essential services, state news agency WAM reported.

The UAE Cybersecurity Council said the attacks included attempts to infiltrate networks, deploy ransomware, and conduct systematic phishing campaigns targeting national platforms.

It also involved the exploitation of artificial intelligence technologies to develop sophisticated offensive tools, reflecting a qualitative shift in the methods employed by terrorist groups and their ability to harness modern technologies to carry out digital attacks, WAM reported.

The Council reiterated the country’s national cybersecurity defense system makes sure that the safety of individuals, the protection of personal data and the continuity of critical services remain top priorities.

It further urged the public to report any cyber threats or suspicious attempts to ensure digital security in the country.