The Saudi Esports Federation (SEF) announced this week that it has signed a partnership agreement with Dubai-based social networking and gaming company Yalla Group Limited.
Financial terms of this new deal were not disclosed.
Under the terms of this new partnership, Yalla Group has been named as the “official event partner” for the Saudi eLeague (SEL) 2026, with a particular focus on fostering the growth of the all-women’s esports league, the Women’s Saudi eLeague.
“This partnership marks an important step in our engagement with Saudi Arabia’s esports sector,” said Yalla Group President Saifi Ismail. “By supporting both national competitions and talent development, we are proud to contribute to the sustainable growth of the Kingdom’s gaming ecosystem.”
In addition to becoming the event partner for Saudi eLeague, Yalla will work with the SEF to establish a “Talent Development Program” in partnership with the Saudi Esports Academy. The goal of this new program is to “empower Saudi esports athletes and provide training, hands on experience and mentorship to aspiring talent to enhance their competitive skills and experience, supporting efforts to drive professional development and elevate Saudi Arabia’s impact on international competitions,” according to the announcement.
Launched in October 2020 by SEF, Saudi eLeague provides competition to players and clubs in Saudi Arabia, giving grassroots competitions a chance to make it to a national and international stage. In 2025 the league introduced competitions for women, support for more game titles, an extended calendar of events, and more. Competitions feature such game titles as PUBG Mobile, Rainbow Six Siege, Rocket League, League of Legends, Valorant, and Overwatch.
The SEF is funded by the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund and is led by HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, who is the founder, president, and chairman.
Properties financial ties to the Saudi Arabian government are frequently accused of helping the government engage in so-called “sports washing,” or using various forms of sport and entertainment to cover up its record on human rights, women’s rights, LGTBQ+ rights, military actions in Yemen, and more. These and other criticisms are actively highlighted by international watchdog groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.