An Israeli gaming team has arrived in Saudi Arabia to participate in the video game version of the FIFA World Cup, despite both countries not having formal diplomatic relations.
According to Israeli media outlets, the team – consisting of three players – landed in Riyadh on the weekend, flying in via the UAE, which was of the four Arab states to normalise relations with the occupation state by signing the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.
The team arrived with their trainer and deputy manager on their Israeli passports ahead of the FIFAe tournament which will run from 16-19 July.
It will be the kingdom's first time hosting the event, though it has invested heavily in recent years in the gaming industry, including through the country's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which acquired significant stakes in major gaming developer firms. Last year, the PIF's Savvy Gaming Group (SGG) acquired two of the largest e-sports brands, including an event organiser and a tournament platform.
בהמשך לדיווח שלנו אתמול, תמונות ראשונות של שחקני נבחרת הפיפ"א הישראלית בריאד, בירת סעודיה, עם חולצות כחול לבן. נורמליזציה או לא זה בהחלט דבר שלא רואים כל יום https://t.co/KeDuMxLfWT pic.twitter.com/cP9xIDNKtU
— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) July 8, 2023
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The Jerusalem Post reported that the team will be allowed to display the Israeli flag with the national anthem, Hatikvah, playing in the opening ceremony on 16 July, in accordance with the FIFAe World Cup rules. One image circulating online shows the trio wearing white and blue t-shirts with "Israel" displayed on the front. The Israeli e-athletes will reportedly be guarded by local government and private security, not by Israelis.
The team's manager, Zvika Kosman, told Israel's Kan News that he had worked with FIFA to secure entry for his players.
"We will be in the hotel and where we are playing, but we won't go walking around," Yuval Blei, one of the players, told Kan.
Saudi Arabia has been speculated to be among the next wave of Arab states to normalise relations with Israel, but has so far not given any indication this will happen any time soon. In an interview yesterday with CNN, US President Joe Biden said of negotiations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv that: "We're a long way from there. We got a lot to talk about."
READ: Saudi Arabia invests almost $40bn to become video gaming hub
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