CABSAT 2019 Esports Pavilion highlighted the potential of esports in the MENA region
CABSAT 2019 was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates last week, with the first esports conference in the Arab region taking place with attendance from a number of prominent names in the industry
In partnership with Ruwa TV and Esports Middle East, E-sports Pavilion presented a number of important dialogues in the field of esports in the Arab region, including discussion about official support for competitive video games, the importance of female representation in gaming and the fight against online harassment, and what is coming down the line for this promising field which its estimated value is said to reach more than $1.5 billion for next year.
“eSports have grown far beyond individual players competing at home. The industry’s potential is fueled by live competitions which give way for spectatorship, brand sponsorship and athlete endorsements. This has opened up revenue streams in sectors that mirror the traditional sports industry, including venues, branding, marketing and, of course, broadcast and content creation,” said Saeed Sharaf, the CEO of eSports Middle East and the Syrian Electronic Sports Association.
The conference was attended by a number of guests such as Mohammed Al Banna, board member of the Emirates Electronic Sports Association, and Hashim Alborno, Director of Electronic Sports at Gamers Lounge, who have talked about their experiences in organizing video games competitions and shared what they learned about the industry with the rest of the audience.
Talking eSports governance with Mohammad Al Banna (Board member, UAE Esports Association & Team Captain, @VslashEsports Esports), Baraa Abdulla (TV Anchor, Bahrain TV), Saeed Sharaf (@ESME & President,Syrian Esports Association), at our #eSportsPavillion in Hall 3 now! pic.twitter.com/e9ZtHtuZON
— CABSAT Official (@CABSATofficial) March 13, 2019
A number of important points were presented to the decision makers and agencies of advertising and television regarding the importance of investing in the e-sports sector and supporting all the concerned organizations in the MENA region as they represent key elements in building the digital entertainment field of tomorrow, where there are millions of viewers from around the world watching each year.
The meeting was a promising first step towards unifying local efforts towards a common goal: to develop the field of e-sports in the region, which began to see more recognition with official support, like UAE government’s intention to make Dubai the capital of esports and Saudi Arabia’s efforts to provide competitions through its official authority. Tunisia, Egypt and Syria have all taken similar steps to spread the culture of competitive video games in the country as well in an encouraging manner.
