Yalla Group Limited (“Yalla” or the “Company”) (NYSE: YALA), the largest Middle East and North Africa (MENA)-based online social networking and gaming company, today announced the successful conclusion of its integrated participation in Saudi eLeague 2026 (SEL 2026), including the Championship Festival Finals held in Riyadh and the Yalla Saudi eLeague Women 2026 presented by Yalla Group.
As the Official Event Partner of SEL 2026 and Presenting Partner of Yalla Saudi eLeague Women 2026, Yalla Group played an active role throughout the season, reinforcing its long-term commitment to supporting the growth of esports, gaming communities and digital entertainment ecosystems across Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region.
The Championship Festival Finals, held from May 1 to June 6 at SEF Arena in Riyadh, brought together players, fans, creators and industry stakeholders for one of the region’s largest esports gatherings.
During the event, Yalla Group operated an interactive offline booth at SEF Arena, showcasing three of its flagship products, Yalla Ludo, Jalsat and Turbo Match, while engaging directly with visitors through on-site activities and community interaction initiatives.
On May 17, Saifi Ismail, President of Yalla Group, visited Saudi eLeague Festival at the SEF Arena and exchanged views with Rawan AlButairi, CEO of the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF), as well as representatives from sponsoring brands and ecosystem partners, discussing the continued development of the esports industry and opportunities to further strengthen gaming communities across the region.
In parallel, the Yalla Saudi eLeague Women 2026 officially concluded on June 6, marking another milestone in the expansion of women’s esports participation in Saudi Arabia. The competition, which kicked off on February 23, featured both online stages and live finals hosted at SEF Arena in Riyadh, highlighting the growing competitiveness, visibility and talent depth among female players in the Kingdom and across the region.
“The successful conclusion of Saudi eLeague 2026 represents another important milestone for the regional esports ecosystem,” said Saifi Ismail, President of Yalla Group. “Through our collaboration with the Saudi Esports Federation, we were proud to participate across multiple dimensions of the event, from community engagement and offline activations to supporting women’s esports development through Yalla Saudi eLeague Women 2026.”
He added: “Saudi Arabia continues to be one of the region’s most strategically important gaming markets, and we are committed to supporting the long-term development of the esports ecosystem by fostering inclusive gaming communities, empowering emerging talent and enhancing user engagement through our expanding portfolio of social networking and gaming products.”
Established in 2020 by the Saudi Esports Federation, Saudi eLeague has become a key pillar of Saudi Arabia’s esports ecosystem, supporting the objectives of Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy. SEL 2026 featured multiple competitive categories, including Elite eLeague, Challenger eLeague, Yalla Saudi eLeague Women and the Fighting eLeague, each designed to support different segments of the gaming and esports landscape.
The 2026 edition further demonstrated the rapid growth of esports engagement in Saudi Arabia, driven by increasing community participation, expanding talent pipelines and rising interest from both regional and international gaming stakeholders.
Yalla Group said it will continue expanding its presence across Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region through strategic partnerships, community-focused initiatives and investments that support the future growth of digital entertainment and esports ecosystems.
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About Yalla Group Limited
Yalla Group Limited is the largest MENA-based online social networking and gaming company, in terms of revenues in 2022. The Company operates two flagship mobile applications, Yalla, a voice-centric group chat platform, and Yalla Ludo, a casual gaming application featuring online versions of board games, popular in MENA, with in-game voice chat and localized Majlis functionality. Building on the success of Yalla and Yalla Ludo, the Company continues to add engaging new content, creating a regionally-focused, integrated ecosystem dedicated to fulfilling MENA users’ evolving online social networking and gaming needs. Through its holding subsidiary, Yalla Game Limited, the Company has expanded its capabilities in mid-core and hard-core games in the MENA region, leveraging its local expertise to bring innovative gaming content to its users. In addition, the growing Yalla ecosystem includes YallaChat, an IM product tailored for Arabic users, and casual games such as Yalla Baloot and 101 Okey Yalla, developed to sustain vibrant local gaming communities in MENA. Yalla is also actively exploring outside of MENA with Yalla Parchis, a Ludo game designed for the South American markets. Yalla’s mobile applications deliver a seamless experience that fosters a sense of loyalty and belonging, establishing highly devoted and engaged user communities through close attention to detail and localized appeal that profoundly resonates with users.
