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StarzPlay Launches Free-To-Play Fantasy Sports Game In MENA
The game lets players make predictions on live Serie A matches and regional leagues in order to win prizes.

SVOD platform StarzPlay has introduced a new title known as Fantasy Sports in the MENA region, a free-to-play Web3 fantasy sports game.
Launched ahead of the 2023/24 Series A season, StarzPlay Fantasy Sports allows players to make score forecasts and predict possession percentages within the in-game arenas. Successful predictions enable players to win various prizes, including STARZ$, the in-game currency usable for acquiring NFTs.
In the future, the currency will be exchangeable for platform subscriptions, football merchandise, and even Serie A match tickets, complete with meet-and-greet sessions with football icons. While the game is essentially free to play, players have the option to buy and trade NFTs within the real-time marketplace. This empowers them to build distinct teams and boost their predictive abilities.
Alessandro Masaro, Chief Strategy Officer at StarzPlay, said, “StarzPlay Fantasy Sports is the first-of-its-kind blockchain service in the region which will give customers a new dimension to engage with sports while competing to win incredible prizes. Our goal is to make StarzPlay a hub for sports entertainment and provide users and rights holders with more opportunities to interact and build stronger and more valuable relationships. We believe this is the first step of a larger plan which will see StarzPlay Fantasy Sports expand into other leagues and sports in the near future”.
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The release of StarzPlay Fantasy Sports is noteworthy due to the title’s cutting-edge Web3 and blockchain technology. The game uses Amazon AWS as a serverless infrastructure to support the peak of users and provide a stable, high-quality experience during matches.
News
Rabbit Expands Hyperlocal Delivery Service In Saudi Arabia
The e-commerce startup is aiming to tap into the Kingdom’s underdeveloped e-grocery sector with a tech-first, locally rooted strategy.

Rabbit, an Egyptian-born hyperlocal e-commerce startup, is expanding into the Saudi Arabian market, setting its sights on delivering 20 million items across major cities by 2026.
The company, founded in 2021, is already operational in the Kingdom, with its regional headquarters now open in Riyadh and an established network of strategically located fulfillment centers — commonly known as “dark stores” — across the capital.
The timing is strategic: Saudi Arabia’s online grocery transactions currently sit at 1.3%, notably behind the UAE (5.3%) and the United States (4.8%). With the Kingdom’s food and grocery market estimated at $60 billion, even a modest increase in online adoption could create a multi-billion-dollar opportunity.
Rabbit also sees a clear alignment between its business goals and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to boost retail sector innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises, attract foreign investment, and develop a robust digital economy.
The company’s e-commerce model is based on speed and efficiency. Delivery of anything from groceries and snacks to cosmetics and household staples is promised in 20 minutes or less, facilitated by a tightly optimized logistics system — a crucial component in a sector where profit margins and delivery expectations are razor-thin.
Despite the challenges, Rabbit has already found its stride in Egypt. In just over three years, the app has been used by 1.4 million customers to deliver more than 40 million items. Revenue has surged, growing more than eightfold in the past two years alone.
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CEO and Co-Founder Ahmad Yousry commented: “We are delighted to announce Rabbit’s expansion into the Kingdom. We pride ourselves on being a hyperlocal company, bringing our bleeding-edge tech and experience to transform the grocery shopping experience for Saudi households, and delivering the best products – especially local favorites, in just 20 minutes”.
The company’s growth strategy avoids the pitfalls of over-reliance on aggressive discounting. Instead, Rabbit leans on operational efficiency, customer retention, and smart scaling. The approach is paying off, having already attracted major investment from the likes of Lorax Capital Partners, Global Ventures, Raed Ventures, and Beltone Venture Capital, alongside earlier investors such as Global Founders Capital, Goodwater Capital, and Hub71.