The world finals of the Girlgamer Esports Festival will take place in Dubai at new retail destination Meydan One, with a $100,000 prize pot up for grabs.

It is estimated that more than 20 million people around the globe could be watching the event, which takes place from December 12-14.  

Fernando Pereira, global organiser of the Girlgamer Esports Festival, said: “We are very enthusiastic about bringing our event to Dubai, and incredibly happy to have found such amazing partners to join us in the mission towards inclusivity.

“Diversity is at the heart of everything we do, and the Girlgamer world finals will help bring global attention to the incredible gender equality work being done in the region.

“We also hope to inspire the young generation to grow up more inclusive and to help parents in developing better relationships with their children.”

The festival will see 45 women from nine teams compete in the games of CounterStrike Go and League of Legends. The prize pot of $100,000 is almost three times more than previous editions of the event.

The Girlgamer Esports Festival marks the start of Meydan One’s partnership with the organiser and the Middle East’s first professional esports team, Galaxy Racer Esports.

“An event like Girlgamer will help to raise the visibility of the women in e-sports – and tell their stories and highlight their accomplishments both in the region and across the world,” said Maitha Shuaib, director of corporate communications at Dubai Women’s Establishment (DWE).

The esports industry has grown exponentially in the Middle East in recent years, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE taking a particularly prominent role.