Galaxy Racer, a leading Dubai-based eSports organisation, today announced its partnership with eLaliga Santander Fan Cup for the ongoing season. eLaLiga is the official virtual competition of La Liga Santander, the top professional football division of the Spanish league system. This partnership is the first time a Dubai-based eSports organisation will team up with a significant worldwide FIFA event The latest tie-up is one of a series of initiatives that have drawn inspiration from the Dubai government’s projects to foster future-oriented innovation such as Dubai 10X. Launched in 2017 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and led by the Dubai Future Foundation, Dubai 10X aims to realise His Highness’s vision for Dubai to be 10 years ahead of other cities in the world.

The partnership between Galaxy Racer and eLaliga also supports the goal of Dubai 10X Media, an initiative of the Government of Dubai Media Office, to drive the development of the region’s eSports industry and establish Dubai as a regional and global hub for competitive eSports events. The partnership will contribute to the growth of a global eSports international ecosystem while also connecting the competition to a massive audience of over 50 million followers. In addition to this partnership, Galaxy Racer also announced it will exclusively broadcast the event in Arabic across all its social media platforms.

The tournament will be broadcast internationally on eLaLiga’s official Twitch and YouTube channels, while Galaxy Racer channels will exclusively broadcast the event in Arabic. The regional stages, being rolled out on 30 January, will see participating countries competing to reserve their place in the grand finals in Madrid beginning on 8 May. The broadcast production crew will adhere to comprehensive COVID-19 precautionary measures, including wearing masks and social distancing.

Gaming has become one of the most viewed and profitable forms of worldwide entertainment. The rapidly growing Middle East gaming sector is home to 14% of the world’s gamers. Dubai’s strategy to promote economic diversification and promote future-oriented sectors has played a key role in the rapid growth of the gaming community in the region.

Paul Roy, CEO of Galaxy Racer Esports, said: “We are beyond excited to partner with eLaliga on this championship. Galaxy Racer’s Middle Eastern and South Asian fan base has always been one of the biggest audiences for European and international football, so it only made sense for us to partner up with eLaliga and bring the excitement to our home turf.

eLaLiga’s Alvaro Mena commented: “It’s amazing to see that the Middle East has such a large fan base when it comes to not only gaming but the amount of viewership it holds worldwide on gaming platforms. It’s an honour to partner with Galaxy Racer Esports for eLaliga as we know some of the biggest FIFA fans come from their home base.”

Galaxy Racer hosted the first-ever inter-school eSports FIFA 20 tournament in the Middle East in 2020 with a large prize pool of AED255,000 granted as scholarships to the winners. The tournament contributed to Dubai’s vision to foster the adoption and growth of future technologies in the emirate, especially in the younger generation, and encouraging Dubai’s youth to explore diverse career paths in innovation-driven sectors.