Zain Iraq says it has signed a strategic MoU with Krafton Europe – the global games company behind hit titles such as PUBG: Battlegrounds – to develop Iraq’s growing gaming and esports sector and improve the player experience.
Under the terms of the MoU announced this week, Zain Iraq and Krafton will launch collaborative initiatives and projects under the Zain Esports brand. That includes exploring ways to deliver Krafton's premium gaming portfolio to Iraqi subscribers, as well as organizing specialized activities and events tailored to the local esports community.
Krafton – which started in 2007 in South Korea as a video game holding company – oversees multiple game development studios focused on creating immersive gaming experiences. The company develops and publishes diverse gaming titles across PC, mobile, and console platforms.
Zain Esports launched in 2021. Since then, Zain says the unit has attracted 70,000 participants and generated over 160 million social media impressions across its operations in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq. Zain Esports said it had an especially good 2024, when 820,000 unique viewers watched live streams of tournaments on Twitch and YouTube, and its social media following reached 210,000.
In December last year, Zain’s group chief investment and digital officer Malek Hammoud credited its esports success to Zain’s investments in 5G and FTTH network upgrades across its markets, which he said will continue into 2025 and beyond.
According to Statista, esports revenues for the MENA region are forecast to reach US$57.4 million by the end of this year, and grow to US$75.5 million by 2029 at a CAGR of 7.11%.
