RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA, 30 August – MOONTON Games and the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to grow the esports industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. MOONTON Games is the developer and publisher of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB); the award-winning game has more than 1.465 billion installations and 110 million monthly active users globally.
The MoU was signed between Lucas Mao, the Managing Director of Global Esports at MOONTON Games, and Turki Alfawzan, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Esports Federation, on the sidelines of the New Global Sport Conference (NGSC) held in Riyadh. The NGSC took place alongside the Esports Awards 2024, which saw MLBB named the "Esports Mobile Game of the Year".
The partnership will see both parties team up to develop and execute potential growth plans for the Kingdom's esports industry, spanning areas such as marketing, the hosting of professional tournaments, education, and community development.
Additionally, SEF committed to featuring MLBB as a game title in its calendar of events for 2025. In exchange, MOONTON Games will provide SEF in-game, marketing, broadcast, and technical assistance for its activities.
Lucas Mao, the Managing Director of Global Esports at MOONTON Games, said: "MLBB has grown steadily in the Kingdom, especially the size of our fan base and the competitive levels of its esports athletes. Most recently, we have seen this at the MLBB Mid Season Cup (MSC) 2024, held in conjunction with the Esports World Cup in Riyadh; both of MENA's representatives, Twisted Minds and Team Falcons, put in impressive performances in front of home crowds. However, there are still tremendous opportunities to expand the esports ecosystem further. We could not be more delighted to collaborate with SEF, who has been the driving force of the Kingdom’s esports sector and the entity in charge of nurturing elite gaming athletes, developing the gaming community and growing the sector in alignment with the National Gaming and Esports Strategy. Together, we look forward to cultivating an open esports ecosystem that is inclusive, diverse, and competitive."
Turki Alfawzan, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Esports Federation, said: "Saudi Arabia is rapidly establishing itself as the global hub for gaming and esports, and we are thrilled to welcome MOONTON Games as a key partner in this journey. The passion for gaming among our population is unparalleled, and through partnerships like this, we are attracting the world's leading developers and publishers to the Kingdom. We have strongly supported MOONTON Games' esports activities in Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region, including the MLBB Professional League (MPL) MENA, which has quickly become the region's most-watched esports league since its inception in 2022. With our combined expertise and shared vision, we are confident that we will elevate the Kingdom's esports scene to unprecedented heights."
The MoU signing marked the start of MPL MENA, presented by Qiddiya. The sixth season of the league commenced with its Regular Season, which sees the region's strongest eight teams battle every Friday and Saturday for five consecutive weeks, from 23 August to 21 September. The six best-performing teams will move on to the Playoffs, held from 26 to 28 September, with the top two teams to battle for ultimate honours in the Grand Finals on 18 October. MPL MENA Season 6 offers teams a USD 100,000 prize pool and two slots to represent MENA on the biggest competitive MLBB stage – the M6 World Championship.
