Professional gamers from across the globe are descending on Saudi Arabia to compete in the inaugural Esports World Cup.
Starting tonight in Riyadh, the event will run for nearly eight weeks until August 25 and replaces the Gamers8 festival with a grander vision and bigger ambitions. It has a combined prize pool of more than $60 million, setting a new benchmark for esports.
The Esports World Cup will feature 22 competitions across 21 different video game titles. It begins in Riyadh's Boulevard City with an opening show which will be streamed live on the official website.
Thirty esports organisations from Europe, North America, Asia, South America and the Middle East have been selected to compete. The teams, chosen based on their competitive achievements and strategic approach to fan engagement, will vie for the prizes.
Championship prizes
The $60 million overall prize pot will be distributed across various categories, including the Club Championship, individual Game Championships, Qualifiers and MVP Awards, ensuring substantial rewards are available for teams and players who excel in their respective disciplines.
The Club Championship is the highlight, aggregating results across all games to crown an overall champion. A $20 million prize pool is distributed to the top 16 clubs based on their cumulative performance.
The games line-up spans a diverse range of esports genres, including popular titles like League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2, alongside newer sensations such as Fortnite and Valorant.
How to get tickets
Speaking to The National last month, Ralf Reichert, chief executive of the EWC Foundation, said the event aims “to be the ultimate competition across the different games and bring them all together at a scale that the gaming industry hasn't seen”.
He added: “The intention of the EWC is to accelerate the growth of the esports industry specifically. It clearly has the ambition to become one of the largest sports events in the world.”
Tickets for spectators are on sale and range from 12 SAR to 20 SAR, with the ‘all-access pass’ costing 76 SAR. Tickets, priced at 149 SAR, are also available for after-show concerts which will feature names such as Wiz Khalifa, DJ Snake and Jack Harlow.
Looking to the future
Beyond its immediate spectacle, the EWC 2024 aims to leave a lasting legacy by fostering grass roots esports development, promoting community engagement and inspiring the next generation of gamers and industry professionals. Organisers hope this can be done through workshops, panels, and educational initiatives.
Reichert believes the EWC is more than a competition. He sees it as an opportunity to bring gaming communities together and push the industry forward. “There will be a time when everyone is a gamer and for Saudi Arabia to make esports and games a national strategy is just so much ahead of the curve of anywhere else,” he said.
The event is organised by the Esports World Cup Foundation and funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Aligned with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative, the Esports World Cup aims to diversify the kingdom's economy and bolster its global influence in the digital entertainment sector.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
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School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
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What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
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Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
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Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
