On 9 and 10 October in Cairo, the Hassan Moustafa Hall, a multi-purpose arena in 6th of October City, pulsated with green neon lights, shouts of cheering, and applause as fans filled the stands for the fifth Esports Summit.
People of all ages crowded the Seventh Gate of the building, standing around food booths, huge LED screens displaying the esports players, and a Samsung booth where they got to participate in a live mobile gaming challenge on the new Samsung A56 5G phone.
Esports, short for electronic sports, are organized video game competitions where players or teams compete professionally in games such as League of Legends or Counter-Strike. The events often draw large audiences both online and in arenas, similar to traditional sports.
The event was organized by FWZ, a leading MENA esports organization launched in 2014, its name a Franco-Arabic spelling of the Arabic word fawz, meaning ‘winning.’
In partnership with Samsung Electronics Egypt, Riot Games, Red Bull, and the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), the event was streamed on WATCH IT and powered by AMD hardware.
Launched in 2018, ESS hosted the largest Battle Royale tournament in 2019 with 100 operational PCs, before moving online during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
This year’s edition, marking its return to a live crowd, gathered many players, thousands of fans, and industry insiders to celebrate a booming sector that, until recently, was more online fantasy than live spectacle.
This year’s tournaments centered around Riot Games’ flagship games, League of Legends and 2XKO, drawing top Egyptian players to battle for bragging rights and prizes. The 2XKO booth was particularly magnetic, a swirl of sound and spectacle where fans could play on computers, stationed for everyone to take their turn and collect points.
For all its commercial partnerships and production value, what stood out most about the Esports Summit was the community it gathered. The fans packed the stadium, cheering, taking pictures, and some were even cosplaying. Many received giveaways, including Samsung monitor screens.
After a four-year hiatus, the long-awaited return of the summit puts Egypt in the global esports scene, where international brands, local talent, and digital culture unite.
“Egypt’s strength lies not only in hosting such large-scale events but in its competitive record,” Sherif Abdel-Baky, President of the Egyptian Esports Federation, told Egyptian Streets.
“We excel in team and strategy games, and hold regional and global rankings,” he said, noting that Egypt’s women’s PUBG team ranked first in the world, and Egypt is sixth globally at the International Federation World Cup.
“Egypt’s Mohamed Tarek is a world champion in Clash Royale,” Abdel-Baky said. “The president of Belgium’s federation once told me people come just to watch Mohamed, to make sure he’s not a robot.”
On the EFA lending its backing to the EA Sport FC Mobile tournament, Abdel-Baky stressed that its involvement “strengthens the Egyptian Esports Federation’s position and opens new opportunities.”
“Last year, Egypt hosted some of the world’s largest tournaments, and the federation recorded its highest revenues to date, driven by the international prizes our players and teams brought home,” Abdel-Baky said. “Our position is strong, and we’re closing the gap with global leaders — but we want more.”
He added that this ambition extends beyond esports itself. “Even in football, the national association taking an interest is a sign of how traditional and electronic sports are beginning to move in step,” he said, noting that Egyptian gamers are ready to take their place on the world stage.
Abdel-Baky also noted that investment in esports has accelerated rapidly, with various investors and large events taking place on Egyptian soil, demonstrating the field’s growing importance and the urgency sponsors now feel to be part of it.
Still, challenges remain. “One of our biggest challenges is that not everyone understands esports,” Abdel-Baky admitted. “People compare us to traditional sports, but we’re fundamentally different.”
By the closing ceremony, the roar of the crowd had mellowed out, as fans gathered their giveaways and drifted toward the exits. The players packed their gear, the LED lights dimmed, and the hall slowly emptied after two days of Cairo exemplifying the spirit of esports.
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