Highlights
- Qiddiya City and MPL MENA launched a 5-year partnership to grow the regional esports ecosystem via grassroots programs and fan activations.
- The deal follows the record-breaking MPL MENA Season 9 finals in Cairo, where Geekay Esports qualified for the 2026 Esports World Cup.
- Qiddiya City is supporting this growth with a new Gaming and Esports District, while MOONTON Games pursues global expansion through international partnerships.
The competitive gaming scene in the Middle East and North Africa just secured a massive power-up. Saudi Arabia’s entertainment mega-project, Qiddiya City, has joined forces with the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Middle East and North Africa (MPL MENA) in a sweeping five-year partnership. The deal establishes Qiddiya as the league’s Official Partner, promising to fuel the region's esports ecosystem from the ground up through broadcast integrations, dynamic on-site activations, fan activities, and grassroots community programs.
The landmark agreement was announced during the historic MPL MENA Season 9 Grand Finals in Cairo, Egypt. It was a weekend of shattered records, drawing a peak of 91,542 concurrent viewers and completely selling out its 3,000 available seats at the Hassan Mostafa Sports Hall, marking the league's first official ticketed event in the country. The tournament concluded with Geekay Esports securing a hard-fought victory over Team Falcons.
The win earned Geekay a direct ticket to the Mid-Season Cup at the 2026 Esports World Cup to fight for a share of a massive $3 million USD prize pool, while Team Falcons will represent the MENA region in the Wild Card stage. Sherif Abdelbaky, President of the Egyptian Esports Federation (EESF), was in attendance, sitting down with MOONTON Games representatives to hash out collaborative plans for developing local youth initiatives, professional leagues, and grassroots talent.
EWC
Meeting the Surging Demand for Mobile Gaming in MENA
This overwhelming physical turnout highlights a surging appetite for mobile gaming across the region. Ray Ng, Head of Esports Ecosystem at MOONTON Games, the game's publisher, which is owned by the Saudi-funded Savvy Games Group, noted that fans are looking for more than just a screen to watch.
Gamers want live experiences, physical community spaces, and entertainment that feels culturally relevant. According to Ng, long-term collaborations like this are vital for building the infrastructure needed to support such rapid scale, bringing gaming, youth culture, and entertainment closer together.
To physically anchor this explosive growth, Qiddiya City is constructing the world’s first dedicated Gaming and Esports District. The monumental hub spans over 500,000 square meters of gaming and entertainment space, which includes 100,000 square meters set aside specifically for retail, dining, and leisure.
Designed to host a year-round calendar of massive international tournaments, the district will feature four dedicated arenas with a combined seating capacity of 73,000. It is built to accommodate up to 10M visits annually and will serve as a permanent base for up to 25 elite esports clubs.
Both organizations are also making bold moves well beyond the MENA region. Looking at the wider gaming ecosystem, Qiddiya City recently partnered with JioBLAST’s India Rising: Road to EWC programme. Furthermore, RTS, an esports company owned by Qiddiya, just became the sole owner of the legendary Evo fighting games festival after acquiring NODWIN Gaming’s stake.
Meanwhile, MOONTON Games continues its aggressive global expansion. Already a cultural phenomenon in Southeast Asia, the publisher has recently secured key partnerships with SURGE and the Portuguese Esports Federation to strengthen its European presence, alongside deals with NODWIN Gaming and Runestone to drive its expansion across the Americas.
