Abu Dhabi, UAE: Abu Dhabi Gaming, the gaming arm of DCT Abu Dhabi, celebrated the emirate’s growing esports community by hosting a Tekken 8 showdown match at their booth at the Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC).

With seven EVO titles between them, the showdown match between Arslan Ash from the Saudi esports team Twisted Minds, and Knee from the South Korean esports team DRX, was a legendary clash of two titans. This showdown marked their first clash since the release of Tekken 8, with the audience eagerly watching to see which characters they would choose and what their playstyle would be in the new game.

James Hartt, Director of AD Gaming said: “The esports scene in Abu Dhabi has stepped up massively in recent years, and it now represents one of the most exciting segments of the emirate’s dynamic gaming industry. These showcase matches will help to deepen Tekken’s regional roots, strengthen local player networks, and highlight that esports and gaming are open to everyone."

Casting the match was the popular British commentator Hassan ‘Spag’ Farooq, who has commentated many leading global tournaments within the Tekken franchise. He said: “Hosting the showdown was eye-opening. I got to see intense passion for competitive gaming from the Abu Dhabi crowd while they watched one of the best showcases of Tekken that we have ever had.”

The showdown matches at MEFCC come following a year of incredible successes for Abu Dhabi’s esports teams. Abu Dhabi-based Nasr Esports saw two of its players, AngryBird and BigBird, win major global tournaments, including Amjad “AngryBird” Alshalabi, who made history by becoming the Street Fighter 6 World Champion at Evo 2023 in Las Vegas, one of the largest international fighting game tournaments globally. Meanwhile, the all-women Counter Strike team at Abu Dhabi’s Nigma Galaxy won multiple A-Tier tournaments throughout 2023.

AD Gaming is home to a diverse and thriving community of gaming businesses from across the world. Including gaming giants such as Unity, Ubisoft and My.Games, as well as local gaming SMEs and entrepreneurs, over 70 gaming companies are part of the AD Gaming ecosystem in Abu Dhabi.

About AD Gaming

AD Gaming is a government-led initiative that amasses the broad efforts throughout Abu Dhabi to transform the emirate into a global gaming hub. With a focus on talent development, game development and esports, AD Gaming is accelerating the growth of the region’s gaming industry, providing career opportunities for aspiring talent and creating world class content from the capital of the UAE.

Fostering an environment of innovation and knowledge, AD Gaming provides a support system for the next generation of game developers and players, businesses, and fans alike.

AD Gaming is powered by the collaboration of multiple Abu Dhabi-based government and commercial organisations, as well as content creators and gamers, all with the shared passion to see locally produced content on the world’s gaming stage.

Media contact:
Charlie May
ADGAMING@brunswickgroup.com