Retail Japanese sports brand Asics kicks off Gulf expansion in Doha Japanese sports brand Asics has signed a deal with the UAE’s Apparel Group to develop branded retail stores across the Gulf. The five-year franchise agreement will see the rollout of 20 stores in Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain, with the first outlet opening in Doha Festival City Mall this week. Commenting on […] December 13, 2022
Business of Sport LaLiga nets esports deal as Spain’s football league heads Mena’s way Spain’s main football league, LaLiga, has signed a 15-year deal with Galaxy Racer, one of the world’s largest largest esports, gaming and lifestyle organisations, that they estimate will generate more than $3.16 billion. The home of Barcelona and Real Madrid say they expect the tie-up with the Dubai-based company to transform the league’s presence in […] December 11, 2022
Analysis World Cup 2022 Saudi and Mexico get back to business after World Cup exit The deepening relationship between Saudi Arabia and Mexico may have been tested for 90 minutes on Wednesday as the central American team prevailed 2-0 in their World Cup match in Qatar. Both teams went out of the tournament due to results elsewhere in their group, but, more importantly, the two countries are enjoying a bounce […] December 1, 2022
Player 2 has entered the game – Mena eyes $5bn e-sports prize Sunday was a big day for sports fans in the Middle East. With the eyes of the media trained on the World Cup opener in Qatar and the final race of the Formula One season in Abu Dhabi, it was easy to overlook the e-sports grand final taking place in Dubai. It would be wise […] November 22, 2022
Opinion Tech The digital world increasingly feeds into the real world Gaming and digital innovations are feeding into the real world with the rise of trends from virtual status symbols to mentor and mentee connections November 14, 2022
Opinion Tech Jobs of the future: the e-sports sector is a game changer Jobs opportunities in the e-sports and gaming industry are growing fast October 10, 2022
Economy Israel-South Korea free trade deal to take effect December 1 A free trade agreement between Israel and South Korea will go into effect on December 1, Israel’s economy ministry said on Wednesday, in a move expected to lower the prices of Korean-made cars, toys, video game consoles and soy sauce. The agreement was ratified by Korea’s parliament on Tuesday. The ministry estimated that it would […] September 29, 2022
Tourism PIF eyes $400m investment in Saudi travel giant Almosafer Riyadh's Public Investment Fund could acquire a 30 percent stake in the tourism group, which has reported record growth in the second quarter September 13, 2022
Saudi bets $80m in gaming sector push Saudi Arabia’s National Development Fund (NDF) has announced a SR300 million ($80m) fund to help develop the gaming and e-sports sector in the kingdom. The budget aims to position Saudi Arabia as a global gaming hub, increasing the sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) by providing career paths and new job opportunities as […] September 8, 2022
Business of Sport Saudi Arabia signs MotoGP deal as sporting push accelerates Saudi Motorsport Company and MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports have signed a memorandum of understanding for a race in the kingdom September 6, 2022
Lifestyle ‘House of the Dragon’ renewed for second season “House of the Dragon”, the highly anticipated “Game of Thrones” prequel, has been renewed for a second season after its first episode proved a hit. Based on George RR Martin’s “Fire & Blood”, the drama is set 200 years before the events that played out in “Game of Thrones” and focuses on how the House […] August 28, 2022
Egypt’s foreign currency gap narrows to $400m in July Egypt’s foreign currency gap narrowed to $400 million last month from $3.9 billion in February, deputy governor of the Central Bank of Egypt Gamal Negm said on Saturday. Egypt has seen billions of dollars leave its markets since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February as investors have fled emerging markets for safer havens. But […] August 14, 2022
Dubai record label launches as Arab music appeal grows Galaxy Racer (GXR), the media giant focused on e-sports, music and sports, has announced the launch of GXR Records, an independent music label based in Dubai. GXR and Empire, the global independent label, distributor and publisher, said the new venture will be led by Elia Mssawir and will focus on developing talents in West Asian […] August 1, 2022
People & Lifestyle 20 MENA innovators to watch Meet the young game changers who have set their sights on transforming the Middle East and North Africa July 20, 2022
Business of Sport Bridgestone ends deal with DeChambeau after LIV Golf move Bryson DeChambeau and Bridgestone Golf have agreed to end their brand ambassador partnership following the former major champion’s decision to join the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series, the company said on Tuesday. DeChambeau, who is among the game’s more high-profile players and one of the longest hitters the sport has ever seen, joined LIV […] July 13, 2022
Analysis Biden Middle East 43 billion reasons why the US is key to Saudi’s wealth fund Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is expected to continue with an investment strategy of “bargain hunting” in the United States but will likely deploy some caution, given current volatility in the US stock market. US president Joe Biden’s visit to the kingdom is an opportunity to strengthen bilateral business ties, commentators told AGBI, and […] July 8, 2022
Make it happen Employment How to hire (and retain) overseas talent in the Gulf Tax-free salaries alone are not sufficient to attract skilled employees: they demand career prospects and a trusting work culture too July 4, 2022
Analysis What the metaverse actually means for your business Should you believe the hype or is this yet another marketing buzzword? Not a day goes by without a brand or celebrity broadcasting their foray into the “metaverse”. While some naysayers may dismiss this nascent Web3 sector as unfounded hype, swathes of metaverse advocates envision trillions of dollars worth of opportunities in this new digital […] June 18, 2022
Banking & Finance Saudi wealth fund takes 8% stake in Tomb Raider developer Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is taking an 8.1 percent stake in gaming group Embracer via a direct share issue as part of a push into the games and esports industry. Sweden’s Embracer said in a statement it was issuing 99.9 million shares at a price of 103.47 per share to Savvy Gaming Group which […] June 9, 2022
Analysis Business of Sport Gulf riches has legacy sports events quaking in their boots Phil Mickelson’s self-imposed break from golf has ended with a $200 million golden handshake. The six-time major winner stepped down from the game in February after issuing a string of controversial comments about Saudi Arabia and the PGA Tour but has announced his return for the PIF-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series. In a statement on […] June 8, 2022
Business of Sport Mickelson returns to play in Saudi golf series – for $200m Phil Mickelson ends his self-imposed break from golf this week to tee it up at the LIV Golf Invitational Series. The six-times major champion has been added to the field for the Saudi-backed league following a four-month hiatus amid a backlash over comments he made about the breakaway tour. “I am ready to come back […] June 7, 2022
Media & Advertising Saudi Arabia’s PIF takes stake in video game giant Nintendo Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has taken a 5.01 percent stake in Nintendo Co Ltd as the sovereign wealth fund increases its exposure to the Japanese video gaming industry. The investment in the Kyoto-based group company was made for investment purposes, a filing said, and comes as PIF has also taken stakes in video […] May 18, 2022
