RIYADH: Gamers8, the world’s largest esports and gaming event, has announced that Saudi Aramco will be a strategic partner of this summer’s showpiece in Riyadh.

Organized by the Saudi Esports Federation, the eight-week event beginning July 14 will stage elite tournaments featuring a series of festivals, concerts, and shows. Aramco will be a title sponsor of the Aramco Sim Arena, a simulator zone for racing enthusiasts to compete in daily community tournaments.

Beyond gaming activities, Gamers8 and Aramco are using the competition to identify top local simulated racing talent for the development program launched during Gamers Without Borders.

The top sim drivers selected will receive specialized training with international professional sim drivers and coaches in the UK. A documentary film team will follow the trainees’ journey for future broadcast.

Ahmed Al-Bishri, chief operations officer of the Saudi Esports Federation, said: “We are delighted to welcome Aramco on board as a strategic partner, and thank them once again for pledging their support to the esports and gaming sector in Saudi Arabia.

“Gamers8 is set to be an incredible, showpiece spectacle in Riyadh this summer, blurring the lines between the physical and virtual worlds. The addition of Aramco as a strategic partner adds another layer of excellence to an event that will be an unforgettable occasion.”

Gamers8 will focus on four main pillars, which include professional esports, festivals, music, and The Next World Summit, an esports and gaming conference that will bring together sector leaders and experts from around the world.