Yalla Group Announces Partnership with Saudi Esports Federation to Drive Growth of Local Esports Ecosystem

Appointment as Official Event Partner of Saudi eLeague 2026

Collaboration to drive the development of the Women's Saudi eLeague and encourage greater female participation in esports

Joint talent development initiative supports inclusive growth of Saudi Arabia's national esports ecosystem

DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 a strategic partnership with the Saudi Esports Federation ("SEF") to drive the continued expansion of Saudi Arabia's national esports ecosystem, broaden opportunities for local talent, and promote greater inclusivity in competitive gaming. The partnership represents a key element of Yalla's strategy to deepen engagement in Saudi Arabia, one of the region's most important growth markets.

Supporting the aims of Vision 2030 and the National Gaming and Esports Strategy, SEF and Yalla Group signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to further develop esports within the Kingdom and establish new pathways for aspiring talent to develop key skills and experience.

Under the partnership agreements, Yalla has been appointed Official Event Partner of the Saudi eLeague (SEL) 2026, the Kingdom's premier national esports competition. Support for the Women's Saudi eLeague will be a key focus of the partnership, aligning with Yalla's dedication to promote inclusion, community development and broader participation in digital entertainment. By cultivating female talent and establishing structured pathways for women's participation in competitive esports, Yalla aims to contribute to the growth and vitality of Saudi Arabia's gaming sector.

In addition, Yalla will launch a talent development program in collaboration with the SEF's Saudi Esports Academy, designed to foster local esports talent through training, mentorship, and competitive experience. The initiative aims to strengthen foundational talent pipelines and improve the long-term competitiveness of Saudi Arabia's esports ecosystem.

Saifi Ismail, President of Yalla Group, said, "This partnership marks an important step in our engagement with Saudi Arabia's esports sector. By supporting both national competitions and talent development, we are proud to contribute to the sustainable growth of the Kingdom's gaming ecosystem."

"Partnering with a MENA leader like Yalla Group brings valuable regional expertise to the Saudi eLeague," said Ibrahim Alsheddi, Chief Shared Services Officer at the Saudi Esports Federation. "This collaboration is crucial for amplifying the league's prestige and ensuring it delivers a world-class experience for players and fans."

Yalla believes this partnership positions the Company to propel growth and progress across Saudi Arabia's gaming and esports industry while delivering long-term value through disciplined market development and increased impacts in the region.

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, WeMuslim, a product that supports Arabic users in observing their customs, 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. For more information, please visit: https://ir.yalla.com.

About Saudi Esports Federation

The Saudi Esports Federation is the regulating body in charge of nurturing elite gaming athletes and developing the gaming community and industry in Saudi Arabia. The Federation's activities are categorized into two complementary streams. The first stream works to develop all levels of competitive gamers, starting with the grassroots community level and moving up to professional esports athletes that can achieve global excellence. The second stream works to develop the entire gaming/esports value chain by catalyzing the industry and enabling talent. Since its establishment in late 2017, the federation has organized multiple world-class national and international tournaments and events, attracted investment from local private sector actors and worked with international developers on opportunities in the Saudi market.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "likely to" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Yalla Group Limited's beliefs, plans and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Yalla Group Limited's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Yalla Group Limited does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Yalla Group Limited
Investor Relations
Kerry Gao - IR Director
Tel: +86-571-8980-7962
Email: [email protected] 

Piacente Financial Communications
Jenny Cai
Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
Email: [email protected] 

In the United States:

Piacente Financial Communications
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
Email: [email protected] 

SOURCE Yalla Group Limited