Saudi Arabia’s Esports Federation (SEF) has joined forces with its global counterpart to develop the gaming sector within the Kingdom. The SAFEIS’s signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Global Esports Federation’s (GEF) boss Paul J. Foster. Under the agreement, each federation will use its assets to contribute to the global gaming and esports industry"s prosperity. Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, President of the SEF and board member of the GEF, led the signing of the MOU at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC Hotel & Convention in Riyadh. “We will work together in this strategic partnership to accomplish and fulfill the plans and visions of the Saudi gaming and esports industry. In the interest of the community and the esports scene, we look forward to a productive and mutually beneficial partnership," he said. Egaming is an increasingly popular activity in Saudi Arabia, with a recent study suggesting that 50 percent of the population consider themselves regular gamers. In an interview with Arab News at the Future Investment Initiative Forum in Riyadh in October, the Prince predicted the sector will contribute about 1 percent of Saudi GDP by 2030 — equating to SR80 billion ($21 billion).