E-sports get revved up at Dubai Expo 2020 this month

The world of eSports will come to Expo 2020 Dubai from 7-8 December with the Monaco Sim Racing World Cup Monaco warm-up event at the Monaco Pavilion, ahead of the flagship event in May next year.

Expo 2020 visitors and participants will be able to get behind the wheel of a racing simulator and compete, with professional drivers from national federations showcasing their skills.

Louis Ducruet, president of the Monaco Esports Federation, said: "The race in Monaco 2022 aims to have more than 111 nations compete against each other to showcase the skills of their national sim racing heroes and find the fastest nation in the world ... The Monaco Sim Racing World Cup 2022 is a great opportunity to put Monaco on the map as the simulation racing capital of the world. Our aim is to create a truly international race, so what better place to start than at the Monaco Pavilion during Expo 2020 Dubai?" 

Qualifiers will begin on 7 December, live at the Monaco Pavilion from 18:00 to 20:00 GST, and will continue on 8 December from 10:30 to 16:00 GST, followed by an exhibition of professional simulation controllers. The finals will begin at 17:30 GST. Dubai-based Techxhub will set up a high-end racing simulation rig, allowing attendees to try out the equipment.

Sanjay Holmukhe, CEO of Techxhub, said: "Sim Racing is still quite small compared to other e-sports, but due to the fact that several real races were cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, famous drivers participated in online simulation races, which quickly boosted the awareness of the esport. This growing trend has also affected the Gulf region, and we see the launch event in Dubai as a great opportunity to introduce the magic of simulation racing to our audiences in the Gulf region.

Text, photos and videos: Dubai Expo 2020.