Launched in partnership with Playhera, the Saudi-headquartered joint venture will incorporate Zain KSA’s 5G infrastructure to enhance its gaming services.
Zain KSA and Zain Group have partnered with global gaming platform Playhera to launch its new regional esports platform Playhera MENA to target the Middle East’s markets.
Headquartered in Saudi Arabia, Playhera MENA aims to create a suitable environment for innovators, content creators and esports amateurs, besides fostering the capabilities of professional gamers.
Targeting the region’s lucrative market of an estimated 100m gamers, Playhera MENA will incorporate new gaming services such as cloud games backed by Zain KSA’s 5G infrastructure to attract digital entertainment stakeholders.
Commenting on the partnership, Eng. Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Deghaither, CEO of Zain KSA, said: “We are proud that Saudi Arabia is home to Playhera MENA esports hub as it enhances the Kingdom’s capacity to incorporate fast-growing and lucrative digital services and boost the Saudi economy in line with Saudi Vision 2030. We are committed to promoting the growth of an ecosystem that supports the development of gaming platforms hence unlocking the countless opportunities that will arise for all stakeholders in this field. We look forward to driving growth in the gaming market in the region and at the same time, we are certain that Playhera MENA will raise the level of the services in this sector that caters to a large segment of users and businesses. The same goes for the Kingdom’s expanding gaming market which currently hosts over 19.8m gamers and posts a significant annual growth of up to 22% and a market value of SAR 2.6bn ($692m).”
Naif Mulaeb, CEO of Playhera, added: “We are proud to be a Saudi-born brand that has gone global with a fast-growing partner like Zain KSA who share our same passion and enthusiasm toward digital entertainment.”
The launch of Playhera MENA will be celebrated by a regional PUBG mobile tournament later this year, expected to attract around 7,000 participants.
