Sharjah24 – AFP: Wearing headphones and anti-sweat finger sleeves, gamers from eight countries guided gun-toting avatars through a battle royale in the Saudi capital, as cheering onlookers watched the action on a big screen.

The PUBG Mobile tournament was part of Gamers8, a summer festival spotlighting Saudi Arabia's emergence as a global eSports dynamo -- one that officials hope can compete with powerhouses like China and South Korea.

Much like with Formula One and professional golf, the world's biggest oil exporter has in recent years leveraged its immense wealth to assert itself on the eSports stage, hosting glitzy conferences and snapping up established tournament organisers.

Saudi gamers, meanwhile, are revelling in their country's newfound status and the eye-watering prize pools it brings.

Next year Riyadh will host the Global Esports Games, billed as the world's "flagship" competitive eSports event.