ESL FACEIT Group launches regional headquarters and esports venue in Saudi Arabia

The global gaming powerhouse ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has officially launched a brand-new regional headquarters and flagship esports venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The new space is a full-on esports arena as it covers more than 1,000 square meters, can host over 500 people, and features more than 300 square meters of LED screens. It’s primarily designed for gamers, fans and creators, offering structure for live tournaments, broadcasts, brand activations and media events.

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“With the opening of our new regional headquarters, we are establishing a new stage for our most exciting competitions, while helping to drive key infrastructure and localized content. We firmly believe Riyadh is becoming the global capital of esports, and we’re honored to play a leading role,” said EFG CEO Niccolo Maisto in a statement provided to outlet Arab News Japan.

EFG says the venue will serve as a hub for local and international competitions, including the ESL Saudi Challenge, and will give esports fans a new home base right in the heart of Riyadh. The opening also ties into the Kingdom’s National Games and Esports Strategy, which aims to boost the country’s economy through gaming and digital entertainment.

EFG says its investment will help promote Saudi talent in fields like content creation, broadcast production, and event management. This isn’t EFG’s first major move in Riyadh, the company is actually owned by Savvy Games Group, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). That connection is part of the country’s move to make Saudi Arabia a major global player in gaming and esports. EFG was behind the Esports World Cup organisation earlier this year.

The Riyadh launch comes during a pretty eventful stretch for ESL FACEIT Group. The company just teamed up with Walmart for DreamHack Atlanta 2025 to integrate a dedicated “Lo-fi Play” hub at the event. Around the same time, EFG also went through some layoffs and a company-wide restructure, which it says are now wrapped up.