This K-12 school in Abu Dhabi launches first esports hub

The facility, located in Aldar Education’s West Yas Academy, will provide students access to gaming equipment, innovative software and immersive experiences

by Divsha Bhat

March 22, 2023

Aldar Education and Lenovo launched the first esports hub at a K-12 school in Abu Dhabi.

The facility, located in Aldar Education’s West Yas Academy, will provide students access to gaming equipment, software and immersive experiences. It will enable students to explore the world of esports and pursue their passion for gaming.

Together with its partners, Lenovo is bringing emerging technologies like virtual reality to the classroom – expanding teachers’ toolkits and enhancing students’ experiences.

As part of the collaboration, the esports zone will feature a 360-degree solution consisting of innovative PCs and monitors for gaming immersion.

“With this new initiative, Lenovo is continuing its commitment to supporting education and empowering young people to unlock their full potential through technology,” said Mohammed Hilili, general manager at Lenovo Gulf.

“Aldar Education has illustrated a clear understanding of gaming’s potential to profoundly impact students’ lives and confidence in Lenovo to deliver an integrated and customised esports solution. We look forward to working with Aldar Education to bring this exciting new initiative to life and involving all the students through the gaming tournament.”

Andrew Turner, group head of Education Technology at Aldar Education, added: “We are thrilled to open this exciting and cutting-edge learning space for our students at West Yas Academy. Esports is a rapidly growing industry and we have introduced it to all our students across our family of schools. Many people believe that esports involves only the playing of digital games and this is not the case. This industry opens up opportunities for our students to enter into careers associated with entrepreneurship, marketing, graphic design, coding, and many others.

Get ready to experience the future of education! ?

We've teamed up with Al Dar Academy to create a world-class eSports Zone that will allow students to explore the world of gaming in a whole new way. ?#Lenovo #LenovoLegion #LenovoEsportsZone pic.twitter.com/v27X22Zd5j

— Lenovo Middle East (@Lenovo_ME) March 21, 2023

“Within this new learning space, our students will learn a wide variety of topics associated with the gaming industry including coding, game design, and 3D prototyping. We are excited to offer our students the opportunity to explore the opportunities associated with the esports industry and to develop valuable soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.

The new Lenovo esports hub is a great addition to our ongoing strategy to ensure that our students have access to the latest technologies and unique learning experiences.”

Growth of esports in the Middle East

Esports has been experiencing significant growth in the Middle East in recent years, with increasing numbers of fans, players, and investments pouring into the industry. The market in the Middle East and North Africa region is expected to reach $105m by 2024, with annual growth rates of up to 25 per cent. There are currently over 18 million gamers in the region, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt being the largest markets.

The growth of esports in the Middle East has also been reflected in the increasing number of tournaments, events and facilities. As its popularity continues to rise, it is expected that the industry will become a significant contributor to the region’s economy and provide opportunities for both local and international players and investors.

In other news, last year, Gems Education and Lenovo inked a memorandum of understanding and launched an esports programme to accelerate opportunities for students in gaming.

Lenovo unveiled its first ‘Legion Gaming Zone’ at Gems Modern Academy in Dubai as part of the collaboration – a 360-degree solution that includes Legion PCs and displays for gaming and high-performance ThinkStation workstations for designing and programming.

The MoU also provided the educational institution with Yoga Tab tablets, which offered instructors the tools they need to conduct courses with improved visibility and efficiency and deliver on crucial results.

Read: Dubai: Gems Education, Lenovo launch region’s first esports zone in a school

Read: AD Gaming partners with Attarius Network to underpin Abu Dhabi’s gaming sector