Pop stars J Balvin and Amr Diab are some of the big music acts scheduled to perform at the opening ceremony of the Gamers8 esports festival in Riyadh.
They will join DJs Sebastian Ingrosso from Swedish House Mafia and Salvatore Ganacci at Boulevard Riyadh City on July 14 as part of celebrations kicking off the eight-week event.
Tickets will be made available soon from the official website.
Running under the theme “Your Portal to the Next World”, Gamers8 is described as “the biggest esports and gaming event worldwide”, with tournaments being played alongside various entertainment and cultural offerings.
According to its organiser, the Saudi Esports Federation, more than 1,000 activities, from concerts to comedy and magic shows, are planned as part of the programme.
On the sporting front, Gamers8 invites some of the world’s best players and teams to compete across popular titles, such as Rocket League, Dota 2, Fortnite, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege and PUBG Mobile.
The total prize pool on offer is $15 million, one of the biggest in any esports competition.
Elite esports teams confirmed to take part include Furia from Brazil and FaZe Clan from the US. They will be battling it out against a number of Saudi teams, including Team Falcons.
The tournaments will be broadcast live on the festival’s social media channels in more than eight languages, including Arabic and English.
“The opening ceremony of Gamers8 will be a spectacular occasion, befitting a city of the imagination and ambition of Riyadh,” said Ahmed Al Bishri, chief operations officer of the Saudi Esports Federation.
“The goal of Gamers8 is to bring the virtual world of esports and gaming out into the physical realm of Riyadh while merging a plethora of other fun and futuristic events and attractions.
“We look forward to revealing even more artists of the quality of the opening night as the summer progresses — so watch this space.”
A booming industry
The scale of Gamers8 reflects the growth of gaming in the kingdom.
In January, a report by Boston Consulting Group stated that gaming consumption in Saudi Arabia, the Arab world's largest economy, is projected to reach $6.8 billion by 2030.
The consultancy also highlighted that, along with esports, the sector is poised to generate substantial revenue, high-quality jobs and various reputational benefits in the kingdom, where consumption is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 22 per cent through 2030 from $959 million in 2020.
Gamers8 follows the success of Gamers Without Borders, an annual esports charity tournament that has raised more than $20m in charity since launching in 2020, according to the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronic and Intellectual Sport.
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1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
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Dubai Creek Open in numbers
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
