Dubai Police to host expanded esports event amid UAE gaming push: What to know
The UAE wants to grow its esports sector as part of its economic diversification plans, mirroring a similar endeavor in neighboring Saudi Arabia.
The Dubai Police announced plans on Thursday for their next esports tournament, as the United Arab Emirates works to develop its gaming industry despite a recent setback.
The police said this year’s tournament will take place Aug. 14-17. They are expecting more than 1,500 players and are offering a prize pool of 200,000 AED ($54,450), the Dubai Media Office said in a statement.
The annual tournament is the fifth hosted by the Dubai Police. For comparison, last year’s tournament had just over 1,000 players, the official Emirates News Agency reported at the time. The Dubai Police tournament seeks to promote safe gaming practices by raising awareness of "the potential cybercrimes associated with online gaming," according to the Dubai Media Office.
The prize pool during the 2024 tournament was around $13,600, according to various gaming websites such as Esports Charts.
