Attention - The Middle East Smells of Change
The presence of Middle Eastern countries in the world of gaming is slowly increasing in the recent past. I remember a few years back no one knew that Arab, UAE, Saudi, etc are related to football, formula one, or any other common sports. But the FIFA World Cup and the visit of Ronaldo to Al Nasser attracted the world's attention to this region. The annual Spanish Cup was organized by Saudi Arabia. So Middle Eastern countries are coming forward for games. Etihad, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Turkish Airlines, are many big names that are going to sponsor major clubs, tournaments, and leagues around the world. PSG and Manchester City, which are European clubs, are owned by state-funded sovereign wealth funds. Many people are calling it game washing, and countries are using it to improve their reputations by using it. Others are calling it diversification, as the trend at the COP summit is calling for a shift from liquid golf to clean energy which doesn't bode well for the Middl...