KUWAIT: Zain Group, a leading mobile telecom innovator in seven markets across the Middle East and Africa, announces that Zain Esports has partnered with the Kuwait Olympic Committee to manage a four-weekend esports event commencing November 12 and ending December 4, 2021. The partnership and competition are the first-of-their-kind to be held in Kuwait and will take place at the Olympic Committee's headquarters, with the ultimate goal of unlocking the potential of local talent and create the Kuwait esports team that will participate in future Olympic Games and other competitions across the globe.
The partnership seeks to promote esports and the overall gaming ecosystem within Kuwait, with the event positioned to fuel further interest from the community. For its part, Zain has been wholehearted in its embrace of the opportunity provided by esport gaming, having established Zain Esports in November 2020 marking the beginning of a year-long calendar of large and exciting regional online esports tournaments, and regular community tournaments with attractive prize pools.
Zain Esports is inspired by the competitive spirit of the 18,000 professional and amateur gamers who have played in the various tournaments held so far and the enormous social media following that has been garnered, which exceeds 35 million views on Zain's YouTube, Twitch and other social media channels. Commenting on the collaboration with the Kuwait Olympic Committee, Malek Hammoud, Zain Group Chief Investment and Digital Transformation Officer said, "The Middle East is one of the fastest-growing gaming regions in the world and we are keen to unlock the potential of aspiring Kuwaiti gamers to compete on the global stage. This pioneering partnership with the Kuwait Olympic Committee reconfirms the momentum being gathered in gaming, and Zain Esports aims to foster the growth of the esports ecosystem in Kuwait and beyond."
Zain Esports' presence as a gaming powerhouse engaging with the gamers and youth across the region is creating an ecosystem that reduces reliance on traditional telco services and opens growing opportunities for fast-growing and lucrative digital services and online gaming. Gaming is one of the largest use cases for mobile and home broadband services and is destined to help Zain operating companies connect to the gaming community through its state-of-the-art infrastructure.
Abdulla Al-Mojil, Head of the Kuwait Olympic Esports Committee said, "This new partnership is an exciting development for the Olympic Committee as we continue to adapt and evolve the notion of esports and participation. We have witnessed the growth of esports globally and it will be an invaluable and exciting four-weekend event that shall be held in collaboration with Zain Esports, a regional gaming powerhouse."
Zain Esports was recently presented with an award at the prestigious Samena Council-endorsed MEA Business Technology Achievement Awards 2021, in the category of Innovation Collaborations and Partnerships for its efforts in fostering the gaming ecosystem. Apart from this Kuwait Olympic endorsed event, Zain Esports continues to hold multiple campaigns and gaming events, with the aim of unlocking the potential of regional talent - players, casters, analysts, and commentators alike.
Of note, for the Kuwait Olympic event, Zain Esports has partnered with Deliveroo, one of the leading food delivery platforms in the region, to be the official F&B partner. Aspiring esports gamers in Kuwait are invited to contact esports@zain.com.