Q&A With Omar Batterjee, Director of Corporate Communications & Public Relations at the Saudi Esports Federation

• How does the new era of gaming in Saudi Arabia contribute to SEF’s global communication purpose?

The role of Saudi Arabia in gaming isn’t new – SEF has been here since 2017 – but recently the growth has been going at a faster pace. With the first two editions of Gamers8, the biggest gaming and esports festival worldwide, we are now seeing the difference and the quality of what Saudi Arabia can actually do on the global stage. And what Saudi players and teams can do on a global scale when competing with international teams. We are really proud, and the gaming community in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world will benefit from this.

• What is the story and the message that SEF is trying to convey to the world?

Gaming is an amazing medium to convey many stories, some of the most amazing stories in the world. As for esports, it is our chance to tell the story of our heroes, you can think of US, South Korea and Netherlands – and now you can think of Saudi Arabia.

• What lessons can other organizations learn from SEF’s experience in fostering gaming and esports?

Two things have helped us. The community first – our events are not revenue or product based; they are for the community. And secondly cooperation – I am proud to say that we might be one of the only countries in the world, if not the only country in the world, that has this level of cooperation between the private and public sectors. This is evidenced through the National Gaming and Esports Strategy.

• How has the communication journey been from the start until today?

Whether its gaming or other events, its interesting to see that whenever there is an announcement about Saudi Arabia, people can sometimes still be surprised that such events happen in Saudi. However, just look at the fans. People now wait with great anticipation for Gamers8 announcements – we are now a destination for gaming, and we are proud of where we have reached.

• Where do you see the future heading?

People might think that Saudi is too ambitious, but we succeeded in showing people that we always exceed expectations – and to sum it up, Saudi will be at the center of the game. And although Saudi Arabia is doing very well with where our esports efforts are going, we can also always continue to learn from global experiences. Our ultimate ambition, of course, is to be a global hub for gaming and esports.

• What are the key elements that make hosting an event like Next World Forum so important to Saudi Arabia’s aims of becoming a recognized center for growth? 

Next World Forum sets itself apart from all other gaming summits. Its purpose is not to talk about new trends – we are here to ask the tough questions, we are here to look at the obstacles, and we are here to solve them together. Great minds and industry leaders relish joining us in Riyadh – their time is precious, but they grace us with their presence – and there’s a reason why. That’s because Next World Forum offers them an opportunity to see how we can all properly unlock this sector’s potential – and unlock it together. And this is just the beginning.