Esports conglomerate ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has announced the opening of a broadcast hub in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The broadcast hub aims to provide esports broadcasts in Arabic, facilitating EFG's recent expansion into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
First Arabic Broadcast and Upcoming Productions
The first Arabic broadcast from the new hub has already taken place. The facility was utilized for the Overwatch Champions Series DreamHack Dallas Major from May 31st to June 2nd. This event, part of Blizzard Entertainment and EFG's long-term collaboration, saw eight teams, including Twisted Minds from Saudi Arabia, compete for the OWCS title and a spot in the Esports World Cup. Crazy Raccoon, a Japanese esports organization, won the event by defeating Team Falcons in the finals.
Other titles that the EFG broadcast hub will produce in Arabic include:
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang;
- Counter-Strike;
- Various mobile titles featured in EFG’s Snapdragon Pro Series.
EFG's Expansion and Partnerships
This is not the first expansion into the region for EFG. The company operates the Esports World Cup, is a global partner of the Qiddiya Esports & Gaming district, and is part of Savvy Games Group.
ESL and FACEIT merged in 2022 after being acquired by the Saudi Arabian government-backed Savvy Games Group. The esports giant operates across a wide variety of esports titles, including running the Intel Extreme Masters series in CS2 and the Snapdragon series, which features games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Call of Duty Mobile, BGMI, and more.
Comments from EFG Leadership
Franck Guignery, SVP, Middle East and Africa, ESL FACEIT Group, commented on the news:
«Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest-growing esports markets in the world with a thriving gaming fanbase, and national initiatives like Vision 2030 showcase the country’s desire to fuel not only local gaming growth but contribute to the industry’s international success.
We are thrilled to bring our premier esports programming to the region and to help its passionate players, fans, and creators build deeper connections with the global community of their favorite brands and titles, and most importantly, with each other».