Saudi Championship for E-sports and Cartoon Characters

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is hosting in mid-November the largest open amateur sports and cartoon characters simulation event since the establishment of the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronic and Intellectual Sports.

On the sidelines of the tournament, famous cartoon singers and Japanese anime program hosts will perform live shows on Al Qarah Mountain stage, led by Tareq and Mohammed Al Arabi Tarqan, who are known for the composition and performance of a wide range of musical soundtracks of children TV shows and animations, most notably Conan, Mowgli, Ninja Turtles, Zoro, Captain Majed, and Hazeem Al Raa’d. 

The most famous site of the world heritage of Al-Ahsa region; Al Qarah Mountain celebrates the Japanese civilization during 14-17 November, with a variety of events starting with the famous Japanese electronic sports competitions such as FIFA19, Fortnite and Tekken 7, through the Japanese cartoon characters’ simulation competition (Cosplay), in addition to a Japanese exhibition on the banks and caves in the mountain.

“The introduction of Japanese civilization in the land of civilizations in Al-Ahsa, which has recently been added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites, is a reflection of the message of Saudi Arabia and Gulf states that are open to other civilizations and people who love peace and harmony,” said Mushary Aljabr, board member at the host organization.

The competitions and associated events will be broadcasted through various media channels that are interested in the amateur electronic sports and anime shows. Recent statistics indicate that Saudi Arabia is in the forefront of sales of electronic games in the Arab markets, with China leading globally, followed by the United States which is competing with Japan in the third place, followed by the German and British markets.

According to Marwan Alshawan, Head of the organizing committee, gifts and prizes will be presented to the competitors and the audience, including a car provided by Kia Aljabr, iPhone devices from Mobily and electronic game devices from Al Jomaih Bottling Plants, in addition to cash prizes of SAR140,000. The competitions will be held under the consideration of specialized arbitration committees, and under the supervision and sponsorship of the Saudi Arabian Federation for Electronic and Intellectual Sports.

In addition to Al Arabi Tarqan, the audience will meet a host of social media influencers such as Etookb, S7S, 3boosh, AI Show group, and other creators of channels that are interested in Japanese games and animation.

It is expected that the event will attract more than 30,000 visitors during 4 days at several locations within the event’s area, including its historic cave known for its mild summer and winter temperatures, the outdoor theater, the famous animation shows, the championship platform, the Japanese exhibition, and restaurants and coffee shops.

The event was named “Game Nation” as an expression of the gathering of fans of electronic games and cartoon competitions, and it is organized under the slogan “Are you gamer? Or Do you Love Animations?”