Saudi Arabian government-owned broadband service provider stc group announced this week that it has signed a strategic partnership with the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF).
Financial terms and duration of this new deal were not disclosed, though it should be noted that the SEF is also backed by the Saudi Arabian government.
Under the terms of this new deal, stc group will work with the SEF to support and expand its Job Attachment Program into the esports and gaming sectors. The initiative’s goal is to “build local capabilities by offering real-world experience to stc group employees through temporary project-based assignments in one of the Kingdom’s most dynamic digital industries,” according to the announcement.
For its part, the SEF will provide Job Attachment Program participants with the opportunity to work on initiatives aligned with its mission to develop local talent and support grassroots/professional esports development.
The SEF joins 25 organizations that are supporting the program through various initiatives and collaborative efforts. The stc group is also a partner of the Esports World Cup.
More broadly, the program, also referred to as Tamheer, is a general national program designed specifically to support Saudi graduates in gaining practical work experience. It is also part of the country’s Vision 2030 plan, which hopes to build industries outside of the world of fossil fuels that create jobs and generate revenue for the Kingdom such as entertainment, sport, game development, esports, technology, tourism, AI, and more.
Projects backed or owned by the Saudi Arabian government are often criticized for helping the government engage in “sports washing,” or using various forms of entertainment to cover up its record on human rights, women’s rights, LGTBQ+ rights, military actions in Yemen, and more. These and other criticisms have been highlighted by international watchdog groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.