Saudia has expanded its partnership with the Esports World Cup Foundation to become the official airline for the Esports World Cup 2026, which will be held at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in the French capital. The announcement was made during an official event at Saudia's aviation engineering facility in Jeddah, attended by government officials, partners, media, and content creators.
As part of the expanded collaboration, Saudia unveiled the first commercial aircraft fully wrapped with the tournament's branding. The aircraft will operate on routes between Riyadh and Paris throughout the championship, and will continue flying on Saudia's international network for two years, showcasing the partnership's global reach.
The airline will provide dedicated services for participants, including transport for players, clubs, fans, content creators, and staff. Onboard entertainment will feature tournament-specific content, such as the documentary "Esports World Cup: Level Up," and selected matches will be broadcast in Saudia lounges during the event. Saudia will also support the tournament's "Elite Fans" program and bring content creators from the Middle East and North Africa to Paris to cover the championship.
In addition, Saudia is launching a community Fortnite tournament with a virtual map featuring an airport and aircraft inspired by the branded plane, offering winners tickets to attend the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris.
The Esports World Cup 2026 will take place from July 6 to August 23, featuring over 2,000 players from 200 clubs across more than 100 countries, competing in 25 tournaments across 24 popular games with a record prize pool exceeding $75 million.