Zain Esports, the esports brand of Zain Group, and the region’s fast-growing gaming startup, PLAYHERA have announced a joint venture (JV) agreement to launch PLAYHERA MENA, targeting the region’s lucrative gaming market, which counts an estimated 100 million gamers. The newly established JV will be headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with offices across Zain’s footprint.
PLAYHERA MENA plans to rapidly diversify its offering to gamers by incorporating new technologies leveraging Zain’s regional state-of-the-art infrastructure; Zain Esports’ success in attracting and engaging gamers; and PLAYHERA’s dynamic interactive platforms and huge 150,000 global player base. This multi-faceted gaming social hub will help industry stakeholders to converge and engage.
The exclusive agreement for the JV was signed by Zain Saudi Arabia CEO, Sultan AlDeghaither, on behalf of Zain Group and Zain KSA, and PLAYHERA CEO, Naif Mulaeb, during LEAP 2022 tech event held recently in Riyadh.
Zain Group’s Chief Investment & Digital Officer, Malek Hammoud commented, “The Middle East is one of the fastest-growing gaming regions in the world and Zain Esports is keen to foster the growth of the ecosystem and unlock the many opportunities that will arise for the benefit of all industry participants. The PLAYHERA MENA joint venture creates a regional gaming powerhouse by providing a platform that unites esports amateurs, professionals, teams, fans, organizers and sponsors under one roof.”
PLAYHERA CEO, Naif Mulaeb said, “This agreement with Zain Esports will empower us to enhance our offering for the MENA region with exciting services to gamers and fans through tournaments, cloud games, exclusive content, and e-commerce. We are proud to be a Saudi brand that has gone global and with presence in several major markets. We will continue to work to encourage individuals and interested companies to enter this field and benefit from our platform, which gives them access to the entire esports ecosystem.”
More on PLAYHERA
Developed by gamers for gamers, PLAYHERA is an esports hub platform that offers countless opportunities to challenge and organize competitions, drive engagement, and socialize with like-minded people. With its fast growth, PLAYHERA already counts 150,000 actively engaged gamers on its platform, offering exclusive entertainment content and an online store in addition.
More on Zain Esports
Zain Esports’ presence as a gaming powerhouse engaging with 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 assisting Zain operating companies connect to the gaming community through state-of-the-art infrastructure.
The growth of Zain Esports saw it holding 16 tournaments since its establishment in November 2020, attracting over 18,000 gaming participants, over 43 million social media impressions, and 5.7 million engagements on its Twitch, YouTube and other social media channels. ENDS
Source: Zain Press Release