The developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB), MOONTON, has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF). As a part of this, MOONTON will work to grow esports in the Middle Eastern country.
The announcement came at the heels of the New Global Sports Conference, which marked the end of the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2024. In the EWC, MOONTON had deeply integrated its official tournaments with the multi-game World Cup. This included the MLBB Mid-Season Cup (MSC), rebranded from the SEA Cup in 2024, to pave its way to being hosted outside Southeast Asia.
Additionally, the MLBB Women’s Invitational (MWI) happened as a LAN event for the first time, with a prize pool of $500,000. Both tournaments garnered impressive viewership numbers, and now, MOONTON has officially entered into a partnership with the SEF.
Image Credits: MOONTON
MLBB MPL MENA to happen between Aug. 23 and Oct. 18
With this MOU with the Saudi Esports Federation, MOONTON has also announced that the next season of its MLBB Professional League (MPL) in MENA will begin on Aug. 23. The Grand Finals will likely be played on LAN on Oct. 18. The venue, however, hasn’t been announced.
Notably, two teams from the MPL MENA will earn slots in the MLBB M6 World Championship.
Turki Alfawzan, the CEO of the Saudi Esports Federation, said, “The passion for gaming among our population is unparalleled, and through partnerships like this, we are attracting the world’s leading developers and publishers to the Kingdom. We have strongly supported MOONTON Games’ esports activities in Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region, including the MLBB Professional League (MPL) MENA, which has quickly become the region’s most-watched esports league since its inception in 2022. With our combined expertise and shared vision, we are confident that we will elevate the Kingdom’s esports scene to unprecedented heights.”
Image Credits: MOONTON
It’s to be noted that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently voted for the creation of the Olympic Esports Games, which will also be hosted in Saudi Arabia in 2025. Furthermore, the IOC has partnered with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia for 12 years for the organization of the games.