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Riyadh Hosted The First Event Of A Global Humanoid Robot Fight League

Last week, in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, two teams of humanoid robots were made to fight.

Published

4 weeks ago

September 11, 2026

Dana Saadeh

riyadh hosted the first event of a global humanoid robot fight league

Hero Esports

CyberHero x Riyadh, staged at Boulevard City, was the launch event for what Hero Esports, Asia’s largest esports company, calls the world’s first global humanoid robot sports league. The plan is an inaugural season across eight cities in four regions – the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Asia – with two of those stops in the Middle East.

The fighters were EngineAI T800s: roughly 1.73 meters tall, between 75 and 85 kilograms, with 29 articulated joints. They can walk, run, punch, kick, turn, get up after a fall and, according to the organizers, occasionally dance. It was the region’s first humanoid robot combat show, held in a purpose-built arena.

Hero Esports frames the league less as entertainment than as an engineering method. “CyberHero was born from a bold idea about the future of competition: that robots can be pushed to test their limits, break new boundaries and improve through data generated in competition,” says Danny Tang, Co-founder and CEO of Hero Esports. The aim is to take physical AI out of the laboratory and onto a global competitive stage, using sport to test how humans, AI and robots can work together. She says the company is establishing a global technology lab at its Shanghai headquarters to bring together technical talent from around the world.

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Each team combines three roles: builders who engineer the robots, coders who develop and train the intelligence behind them, and drivers who make live decisions in the arena. Additional disciplines will follow as robot capabilities improve, the company says.

The Riyadh event was invite-only, and MENA creator AboFlah and Saudi sports creator Bashar Arabi managed the two competing teams. HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan al Saud, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, calls the choice of Riyadh “testament to the passion of our fans and Saudi Arabia’s ongoing commitment to esports as a thriving sector and entertainment choice”.

Hero Esports is now seeking partners across universities, tourism, technology, sports, entertainment, business and music.

Related Topics:eSports Robotics Saudi Arabia

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New Disney+ Streaming App Has Officially Launched In The UAE

The app’s recommendations now factor in what’s popular in the UAE, and a dedicated Junior Mode gives kids their own corner of Disney+.

Published

15 hours ago

October 9, 2026

Dana Saadeh

Disney

A new Disney+ app has officially launched in the UAE, and subscribers can now keep watching their favorite titles when they travel. Disney+ says access extends across supported markets in Europe, the United States and beyond.

The app is built around a dynamic homepage and simpler navigation, with recommendations drawn from each customer’s viewing habits and what’s popular in the UAE. Content from Hulu and ESPN is now easier to find alongside Disney+’s own library, the company says. Audio and subtitles come in up to 25 languages, and supported devices get high-quality video and sound.

For families, the app includes Junior Mode, a dedicated, simplified version of Disney+ for younger viewers, built around age-appropriate shows and movies. It sits alongside existing controls such as PIN-protected profiles, customizable content ratings and account notifications when a profile is changed.

The catalog still spans Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, Hulu and FX. Returning series include Season 8 of “The Kardashians,” Season 23 of “Grey’s Anatomy” and Season 38 of “The Simpsons”. Also on the service are the second season of International Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning series “Rivals,” comedy “Only Murders in the Building,” Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootropolis 2” and 20th Century Studios’ “Send Help”.

Also Read: Best Video Streaming Services In The Middle East

Marvel Television’s “VisionQuest” is on the way, and Disney’s live-action “Moana” is due later this autumn. Beyond Hollywood, the Turkish title “Halef” is coming to the platform alongside a lineup of Korean entertainment: Korean-Japanese romantic comedy “Merry Berry Love” is streaming now, and “The Remarried Empress” arrives November 4.

Existing subscribers will be prompted to download the new app and sign in with their current credentials, with on-screen steps covering account confirmation and profile setup. Subscriptions start at AED 49.99 per month and can be canceled at any time.

For UAE subscribers planning to travel, the update will likely be well received, but Disney has left one question open. It confirms Europe and the United States as supported markets but doesn’t yet say which others fall under and beyond.