After hosting the FIFA World Cup later this year, Qatar is looking to build on the booming esports sector to ensure the Gulf state remains a major player in the sport.

In 2019, Doha created a dedicated esports facility called “VirtueCity”. After being suspended during the coronavirus pandemic, the complex hosted its first major tournament in March, as well as the first round of the “Smash World Tour,” the international fighting game tournament “Super Smash Bros.” (1300 euros).

The eSports Federation was created at the end of 2021 and the system was integrated into the London International School curriculum as a way to develop certain skills in students.

The challenge, however, is to lure the Qatari players out of their homes, or rather their “majlis”. The “Majlis” is more like a large sofa, usually adjacent to the house where men meet and are the centers of social networks in Qatar.

“Our boards are very well equipped, with (sometimes) six consoles that friends can play on at the same time,” says Ibrahim Samha, who is in charge of esports projects at VirtueCity.

“We play it for fun. But if we want to get to the next level, you have to compete in tournaments, so that’s where you get into the game.”

– “Serious business” –

Ahmed Al Mughaisib, 24, proposed the game in 2017 to represent Qatar in FIFA’s most popular e-football game, ranking his country’s national team tenth in the world in May 2021.

“In the beginning, there was not much interest in what I do (…), but things are getting better. People understand that esports is a serious topic and an industry that can be a source of income for the country,” he said. young man tells AFP.

Khalifa Al-Haroun, also known as “Mr. Q”, was an early proponent of esports in a gas-rich nation looking to diversify its economy by 2030.

Al-Haroun, an influencer and game store owner, sponsors content creators and tournaments and wants to “see Qatar as a leader in video games in the Middle East and the world.”

His program, he says, is to “let people know that this is not just a game. Run more local tournaments, encourage studios to base themselves in Qatar to create original content, work with agencies to take advantage of major international tournaments and showcase our companies.” what they should invest.”

He identifies with Jack Al Balushi, a 35-year-old Pakistani born in Qatar.

“The base is there, we have already built it, but we need the support of companies to move in the right direction,” says a young man who organizes tournaments for the popular PUBG game on smartphones.

– ‘Very strong push’ –

Ooredoo, one of Qatar’s mobile operators, was convinced of the project and sponsored a $25,000 FIFA video game tournament at the end of May, and also launched a talent scouting program to build a professional team.

Early recruits included Al Mogasib at FIFA and Youssef Al Difaa at Fortnite.

“Are we far from our goal?” Al-Harun asks.

For Mexican player Chaga, who won the first leg of the Smash World Tour in Virtue City in March and placed in the top 5 countries in the world, “the Qatari scene has the potential to grow a lot and is a good base for the whole world. look at Qatar.

In this context, esports sociologist Nicholas Bezombis confirms to AFP that there is “a very strong momentum from Qatar and Saudi Arabia”, referring to “a fairly recent phenomenon that started just before the start of the pandemic.”

“This is soft power in its purest form, as it was with sports, to improve its image and appeal,” he says, noting that “the Middle East is also a world that esports is trying to lure, it is looking for investors where there are money”.