عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Gulf

Saudi Crown Prince Crowns Team Falcons as Winners of Esports World Cup 2025 

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presents the Team Falcons leader with the trophy. (SPA)
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presents the Team Falcons leader with the trophy. (SPA)
TT
TT

Saudi Crown Prince Crowns Team Falcons as Winners of Esports World Cup 2025 

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presents the Team Falcons leader with the trophy. (SPA)
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presents the Team Falcons leader with the trophy. (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, attended on Sunday the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, during which he crowned “Team Falcons” as champion.

Team Falcons topped the tournament standings with 5,200 points, securing the grand prize of $7 million out of a total prize pool exceeding $70 million - the largest in the history of global esports. The prizes were distributed among teams, players, and participants according to their tournament rankings.

The Crown Prince’s presence at the event reflects his continued and substantial support for the gaming and esports sector through a comprehensive framework of regulations and initiatives driven by the National Gaming and Esports Strategy, which he launched in 2022.

The strategy aims to build a globally competitive and sustainable sector and achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. It serves as a key pillar for creating 39,000 jobs, contributing up to SAR50 billion to GDP by 2030, supporting the establishment of startups, and attracting global investment in gaming and esports.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the closing ceremony. (SPA)

CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation Ralf Reichert praised the Crown Prince’s support for the tournament, stressing that the Kingdom succeeded in creating a unique global experience that combined diverse games, strong competitions, attractive entertainment activities, global attendance, and vast online viewership.

The seven-week tournament witnessed broad participation from clubs and players from countries across the globe, alongside unprecedented audience and media attendance. A total of 2,000 professional players competed in 200 clubs from 100 countries across 25 tournaments featuring the world’s most popular esports titles.

The tournament gained a distinctly global character and set records in multiple areas, including the number of tournaments, prize value, and audience engagement.

The Esports World Cup originated from a Saudi initiative announced by Crown Prince Mohammed in 2023, with Riyadh hosting its first edition in 2024 to great international success. This paved the way for the 2025 edition, which was organized at an unprecedented technical and organizational level.

Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo with the tournament trophy at the closing ceremony. (SPA)

By hosting this exceptional tournament, the Kingdom has strengthened its advanced global position in gaming and esports, delivering a unique experience that combined competition with innovation and boosted performance indicators. The tournament recorded a 53% rise in ticket sales, a 40% increase in average content demand, and a 64% growth in international sales.

Moreover, competitions were broadcast in 35 languages to over 100 countries, in a global media production that reflected the scale of organization and level of participation.

Over the course of the tournament, the Boulevard Riyadh City welcomed more than 3 million visitors. At the same time, over 750 million viewers worldwide followed the competitions through digital platforms, with a total watch time exceeding 350 million hours. The accompanying events featured more than 1,500 community, cultural, and entertainment activities.

With the conclusion of the Esports World Cup 2025, Riyadh continues to cement its position as a global capital of esports, adding another achievement to the Kingdom’s record of international successes. This further supports the development goals of the sports and entertainment sectors and drives digital transformation to broader horizons.

Most Viewed

 
 
Gulf

Saudi Arabia Condemns RSF Attacks on Civilians and Aid Convoys in Sudan

An elderly man picks up his food aid ration at the Umdulu Camp, in Engpung County, Sudan, January 30, 2026. (Karl Schembri/Norweigan Refugee Council/Handout via Reuters)
An elderly man picks up his food aid ration at the Umdulu Camp, in Engpung County, Sudan, January 30, 2026. (Karl Schembri/Norweigan Refugee Council/Handout via Reuters)
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia Condemns RSF Attacks on Civilians and Aid Convoys in Sudan

An elderly man picks up his food aid ration at the Umdulu Camp, in Engpung County, Sudan, January 30, 2026. (Karl Schembri/Norweigan Refugee Council/Handout via Reuters)
An elderly man picks up his food aid ration at the Umdulu Camp, in Engpung County, Sudan, January 30, 2026. (Karl Schembri/Norweigan Refugee Council/Handout via Reuters)

Saudi Arabia strongly condemned on Saturday the Rapid Support Forces’ attack against a humanitarian aid convoy in Sudan’s Kordofan.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the Kingdom expressed its strong condemnation of the attack against Al-Kuweik Military Hospital, a humanitarian aid convoy affiliated with the World Food Program, and a vehicle transporting displaced civilians.

“These acts are unjustifiable under any circumstances and are flagrant violations of all humanitarian norms and relevant international agreements,” it stressed.

“The Kingdom called on the RSF to immediately cease these violations and to fulfill their moral and humanitarian obligations by ensuring the safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in need, in accordance with international humanitarian law and the Jeddah Declaration signed on May 11, 2023,” it added.

The Kingdom reiterated its firm position in support of Sudan’s unity, security, and stability, the need to preserve its legitimate institutions.

It voiced its rejection of “foreign interference and the continued actions of certain parties in supplying illicit weapons, mercenaries, and foreign fighters, despite their stated support for a political solution,” saying such “conduct is a primary factor in prolonging the conflict and exacerbating the suffering of the Sudanese people.”

A drone attack by the RSF hit a vehicle carrying displaced families in central Sudan Saturday, killing at least 24 people, including eight children, a doctors’ group said, a day after a World Food Program aid convoy was targeted.

The attack occurred close to the city of Rahad in North Kordofan province, said the Sudan Doctors Network, which tracks the country’s ongoing war. The vehicle was transporting displaced people who fled fighting in the Dubeiker area, the group said in a statement. Among the dead children were two infants.

Gulf

OIC Condemns Terrorist Bombing of Mosque in Islamabad

A Pakistani man reacts as people attend a protest against the suicide bomb blast that killed dozens of people, in Peshawar, Pakistan, 07 February 2026. (EPA)
A Pakistani man reacts as people attend a protest against the suicide bomb blast that killed dozens of people, in Peshawar, Pakistan, 07 February 2026. (EPA)
TT
TT

OIC Condemns Terrorist Bombing of Mosque in Islamabad

A Pakistani man reacts as people attend a protest against the suicide bomb blast that killed dozens of people, in Peshawar, Pakistan, 07 February 2026. (EPA)
A Pakistani man reacts as people attend a protest against the suicide bomb blast that killed dozens of people, in Peshawar, Pakistan, 07 February 2026. (EPA)

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) General Secretariat strongly condemned on Saturday the terrorist bombing that targeted a mosque in Islamabad.

The secretariat stressed its categorical rejection of terrorism in all its forms, especially those targeting places of worship.

It underlined its firm stance in condemning these criminal acts, which are contrary to human values and religious principles.

The OIC offered its sincere condolences to the government and people of Pakistan and to the families of the victims.

It also reiterated its full solidarity with Pakistan in its efforts to combat terrorism and boost its security and stability.

At least 30 people killed in a suicide bombing at a Muslim mosque during Friday prayers.

Gulf

Bahrain, France Sign Defense Cooperation Agreement

Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Junior Minister at the Ministry of Defense, Alice Rufo, pose after signing a bilateral agreement at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 6, 2026. (Thibault Camus/Pool via Reuter)
Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Junior Minister at the Ministry of Defense, Alice Rufo, pose after signing a bilateral agreement at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 6, 2026. (Thibault Camus/Pool via Reuter)
TT
TT

Bahrain, France Sign Defense Cooperation Agreement

Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Junior Minister at the Ministry of Defense, Alice Rufo, pose after signing a bilateral agreement at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 6, 2026. (Thibault Camus/Pool via Reuter)
Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Junior Minister at the Ministry of Defense, Alice Rufo, pose after signing a bilateral agreement at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 6, 2026. (Thibault Camus/Pool via Reuter)

Bahrain and France signed on Friday a joint defense cooperation agreement during talks between King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa met with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

The French presidency said the agreement consolidates cooperation in the field of defense, training and exchange of strategic information.

“This agreement will ⁠also open ‌up ‍new ‍opportunities for industrial ‍cooperation in defense, and strengthen solidarity between our two countries in a ⁠global and regional geopolitical context marked by increasing tensions,” it added.

The agreement was signed by Bahrain’s National Security Adviser and Secretary General of the Supreme Defense Council Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and France’s Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Alice Rufo.

Macron highlighted the depth of the historical relations between Bahrain and France, as well as the progress achieved across various domains in support of common interests, reported Bahrain’s state news agency (BNA).

For his part, King Hamad commended the French president’s keenness to strengthen relations between the two countries.

The talks also addressed means to bolster bilateral relations across all sectors to achieve shared interests.

Both sides commended the efforts of the Joint Bahraini-French High Committee. They highlighted the positive outcomes achieved in advancing cooperation and underlined the importance of continuing the committee’s work to expand cooperation across various domains.

The talks addressed regional and international developments, and efforts aimed at resolving conflicts through dialogue and diplomatic solutions and reducing tensions.