Behemoth sporting competitions such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games have proved on multiple occasions that sports can bring individuals together from all parts of the world.
In a new initiative that’s aimed at taking this cross-cultural cooperation into video games, the Abraham ‘Accords Esports Peace Games’ will take place across the United States and the Middle East from January 26 to 28, 2023.
The event will see players from the aforesaid regions come together to compete in Tel Aviv-Yafo, a city in Israel. National esports teams from UAE, Morocco, and Bahrain will be among the teams that’ll compete for the event’s grand prize of $82,000.
Israeli’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, investment and Merchant bank Lion Tree, and philanthropist Sylvan Adams are supporting the Peace Games.
Adams stated, “To weave the warm peace that we all seek in the region, we must have people-to-people exchanges: sporting, cultural, and especially tourism with our neighbours. Esports introduces a whole new cohort to Israel.”
Thomas Nides, US Ambassador to Israel who is co-chairing the event alongside Adams commented that he hopes the Peace Games will be the first of many cultural activities “connecting with the region’s youth to make sure the [Abraham] Accords are sustainable.”
Ido Brosh, President of the Israeli Esports Association added, “Israeli gamers have long enjoyed playing online with all peoples, fellow gamers, from all over the world, including the Middle East. To be able to welcome them to Israel is a true honor and a sign of how we share so much more than divides us.”
The organizers have spent $1.5 million so far to produce the event that’ll set to take place at Shlomo Group Arena in Tel Aviv as thousands of spectators are expected to be in attendance.
As esports continues to grow across multiple regions, its industry value is expected to reach a staggering $1.8 billion in 2025 as tournaments have been estimated to attract up to 400 million viewers on Twitch and YouTube.
The Accords Esports Peace Games in Israel will also hold a separate gaming festival during the tournament. One that’ll allow non-official competitors to connect with other attendees, and take tours around the city.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
