Qiddiya City and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Professional League Middle East and North Africa (MPL MENA) have announced a five-year partnership to support the growth of esports and entertainment in the region.
Under the agreement, Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia’s mega-city project built around multiple entertainment attractions including esports, becomes the league’s Official Partner and will support MPL MENA through broadcast integrations, onsite activations, fan activities, and community initiatives.
The partnership was unveiled during the MPL MENA Season 9 Grand Finals which was also attended by Sherif Abdelbaky, President of the Egyptian Esports Federation (EESF). During the event, representatives from MOONTON Games and the EESF discussed opportunities to further develop esports in Egypt and the MENA region.
The discussions also covered youth esports initiatives, professional league development, offline event collaboration, talent development, and grassroots esports growth.
Ray Ng, Head of Esports Ecosystem at MOONTON Games, the publisher of MLBB which is owned by the also Saudi-funded Savvy Games Group, said, “Esports in MENA is entering a new phase of growth, where fans are looking for more than just competition. They want live experiences, community spaces, and entertainment that feels relevant to them. Long term collaborations like this are important because they help create the infrastructure and ecosystem needed to support that growth at scale.”
Ray further added, “Together with Qiddiya City, we want to continue building experiences that bring gaming, entertainment, and youth culture closer together across the region. The pace of growth we’re seeing for MLBB Esports in MENA has been incredibly encouraging. We’re seeing stronger community participation, more interest from ecosystem partners, and increasing demand for live experiences.”
Beyond mobile esports, Qiddiya City has been steadily expanding its footprint across the wider gaming ecosystem. One week earlier, the company was announced as one of the global partners for JioBLAST’s India Rising: Road to EWC programme. Three months ago, RTS, an esports company owned by Qiddiya City, became the sole owner of legendary fighting games festival Evo, after acquiring NODWIN Gaming’s stake in the tournament property.
This step aligns with MOONTON Games’ global expansion plans for MLBB Esports. After cementing its status as one of the most-watched esports titles in the industry, the game has steadily grown beyond its core base in Southeast Asia. Recent milestones include securing partnerships with SURGE and with the Portuguese Esports Federation to anchor its European presence, as well as NODWIN Gaming and Runestone to drive expansion across the Americas. You can read more about these global ambitions in The Esports Radar’s 2025 interview with Ray Ng.
Follow The Esports Radar on social media:
