British eSports releases statement following controversial Saudi partnership
"This is not a commercial agreement or sponsorship."
Earlier this week, British eSports announced a partnership with the Saudi eSports Federation. The UK's national body for competitive video gaming said this collaboration aimed to set "new standards of excellence, education and innovation throughout the world of esports". This would include a variety of endeavours between the two parties, including internships, training programs and research projects.
However, British eSports has now acknowledged this news had sparked "concern" - no doubt fuelled by Saudi Arabia's poor human rights record, which includes the criminalisation of homosexuality, fewer rights for women and the use of the death penalty. Saudi's Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also been blamed for the assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi by US intelligence agencies.
As a result, British eSports has released a statement addressing issues raised by the esports community.
In this statement, British eSports said it had not received "any monetary contributions of any kind" from its partnership with the Saudi eSports Federation, and that "this is not a commercial agreement or sponsorship".
It went on to say inclusivity was "fundamental" to the growth of eSports, and that it wanted to "showcase the best practices that British eSports actively promote in the UK".
British eSports defended its partnership with the Saudi eSports Federation, but said it still believed "every individual, regardless of their gender, race, religion or sexual orientation, should be able to participate and thrive in the esports industry", something it said "will not change".
The British eSports team said part of embracing diversity means engaging in dialogue that "positively shapes and influences change" in attitudes. "We want to represent identities and backgrounds and we can't do this alone," it wrote. "British Esports being part of the discussion enables a line of communication for all parties to share their values, learn and develop together.
"These conversations are an essential part of our journey towards progress and understanding. We recognise that there are many cultural differences around the world and we firmly believe in the power of dialogue to overcome these challenges. For example showcasing the work of our Women in Esports initiative and highlighting the tremendously diverse nature of our community as a shining example to other esports federations."
British eSports closed by stating it remained "committed to transparency and honesty" with its community. It made no suggestion it had any interest in terminating its partnership with Saudi Arabia.
You can read the full statement from British eSports in the image below.
