"eSports Match" Signing with His Royal Highness Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia

The Japan e-Sports Union (JeSU), which aims to promote and popularize "e-sports" in Japan, held a signing ceremony and press conference on August 17 at Dentsu Inc. Hall in Minato Ward, Tokyo, for the international "Japan-Saudi Arabia e-Sports Match" scheduled for January 2019.

Saudi Arabia, advancing economic reforms centered on petroleum resources, has seen increased activity in its amusement and content industries in recent years. Collaboration between this nation and gaming powerhouse Japan presents an excellent opportunity to foster the development and promotion of esports in both countries while deepening bilateral friendship, leading to the realization of this event.

His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, President of the Saudi Arabian Esports Federation, was invited to the ceremony and signed the agreement.

At the outset, JeSU Chairman Hideki Okamura stated, "We are honored to host this match as part of the activities under the 'Japan-Saudi Vision 2030,' an agreement on economic cooperation reached by both governments in March 2017. We aim to strengthen exchanges with Saudi Arabia, particularly in promoting culture, entertainment, and sports."

He outlined the event details: a "home-and-away" format with one match held in each country in January 2019, featuring a total prize pool of 30 million yen. The games selected for competition are the soccer game "Winning Eleven 2019," the fighting game "Street Fighter V Arcade Edition," and "Tekken 7."

His Royal Highness Prince Faisal stated, "I am delighted to hold matches with Japan. I believe this tournament will serve as an opportunity to build a long-lasting and wonderful relationship between our two countries."

Chairman Okamura discussed future collaboration between the two nations: "We want to reach out to other countries and create a situation where many nations from the Middle East and Asia are involved. We want to make this match the first step in advancing e-sports culture." His Royal Highness Prince Faisal added, "The development of e-sports is still in its infancy internationally. I believe it's crucial to get started. I thank Japan for taking this first step with us."

Regarding Saudi Arabia's rise as a sports powerhouse, he passionately remarked, "It wasn't just me doing something. Fortunately, we were blessed with talented players and top-quality teams. We want to work hand in hand to nurture this sport." He concluded, "The three games selected for adoption have history and are popular in Saudi Arabia too. The only thing separating Japan and Saudi Arabia is distance."

 

Official Website: https://jesu.or.jp/