The Afro-Arab Esports League, a new gaming competition that features 25 countries from the Arab and African world, was launched in Riyadh on Friday.
The league has been created to enhance the competitive level of esports across the countries while also utilising the power of gaming to unite people across borders, cultures and backgrounds.
Countries included are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Tunisia, Senegal, Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, Cameroon, Mali, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Burkina Faso, Jordan, Lebanon, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, South Africa, Namibia and Nigeria.
“The Afro-Arab Esports League is a testament to the growing importance of esports in both the African and Arab worlds and a key way to create space for cultural exchange and co-operation among the 25 participating countries,” said Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation and Arab Esports Federation.
“Together, we herald a future where unity knows no bounds, where the thrill of competition unites us, and where the passion for gaming brings nations together.”
Riyadh will host the initial tournaments of the Afro-Arab Esports League at Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, a large gaming and esports festival. Tournaments in eFootball and Valorant, featuring separate male and female competitions, will take place at the Challenge Zone within Boulevard Riyadh City at Gamers8.
“We thank Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan for his support in setting up the Afro-Arab Esports League and the inaugural tournaments here in Riyadh. The importance and development opportunities from gathering African and Arab youths together for competitions can’t be overstated,” said Ashraf Sobhy, Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports.
Future tournaments in the league will be announced at a later date.
If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
