Saudi Arabia's Qiddiya named as presenting partner for ESI London 2023

 

Saudi Arabia's Qiddiya named as presenting partner for ESI London 2023

Saudi Arabia's ambitious "giga project," Qiddiya, has been named as a presenting partner for ESI London 2023, an annual esports industry conference set to kick off soon. This announcement continues the trend of Saudi partnerships in the UK esports scene.

Last week, the British Esports Federation had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Esports Federation.

 

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Qiddiya is a groundbreaking development with a vision to become a lively hub for entertainment, sports, and culture in Riyadh. Its offerings include family-friendly theme parks, sports arenas, concerts, racetracks, and a variety of outdoor and adventure activities.

The Qiddiya Investment Company is entirely owned by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which is also the majority owner of Newcastle United Football Club and the sole owner of Savvy Games Group, which in turn owns ESL Faceit Group.

Qiddiya is listed as one of Saudi Arabia's "giga projects" alongside tech city NEOM on the Public Investment Fund website. Notably, three years ago, Riot Games' LEC terminated its partnership with NEOM due to community backlash.

 

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ESI London 2023, the annual esports industry conference, will also feature an invite-only Women & Non-Binary Esports Breakfast, in collaboration with Sportfive, TheGameHers, GirlGamer Esports Festival, Women in Games, and Women in Games International.

Various panels are scheduled to be held in the Glowbox space, addressing topics such as "What is being done to bring women to the forefront of our industry?" featuring representatives from EE and Riot Games. Another discussion will revolve around strategies for brands to address toxicity in gaming communities, in partnership with Ear to the Ground and Unilever.

Qiddiya joins other notable partners of the industry event, with the International Esports Federation (IESF) serving as a silver partner of ESI London. It's worth noting that the IESF recently faced criticism for lifting sanctions against the Russian Esports Federation after the 2023 World Esports Championship in Romania.

Richard Lewis has reported the possibility of a merger between the IESF and the Global Esports Federation, following the appointment of Saudi Arabia's Prince Faisal as the IESF's president.

Additional partners for ESI London 2023 include HSBC UK, Excel Esports, Canon, Sidequest, and more. Esports News UK is also participating as a non-commercial media partner, with the arrangement predating the knowledge of other partners.

Source: https://esports-news.co.uk/