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MISCELLANEOUS

Thu 06 Apr 2023 12:20 pm - Jerusalem Time

Video game enthusiasts in Libya regroup after years of isolation

In a modern video game hall near Tripoli , players' comments mix with the sounds of controllers and screens... Fans of this entertainment activity in Libya have begun to organize their ranks, after a long isolation during the era of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi that followed a decade of chaos.


In the dead of night during one of the days of Ramadan, inside a building in Tajoura, on the outskirts of the Libyan capital, teenagers stare at the latest curved screens, headphones in the ears.


A young man drives a virtual racing car sitting behind the wheel, while some immerse themselves in virtual reality games, wearing large 3D glasses.


This kind of space is not common in Libya.


Unlike other Arab countries, the world of video games was completely absent in Libya until recently, as Sofiane Matos, who oversees the private game room that opened in 2022, explains.


Experts classify the Middle East and North Africa as one of the regions that are achieving strong growth in the video game sector, and Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt are the most important markets in this field.


However, investment in technology and entertainment slowed down sharply in Libya during the dictatorial rule of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi for more than four decades, and even after the fall of his regime in 2011, in light of the years of chaos and security chaos in the country.
Sufyan Matos believes that the players' long isolation, in a country rich in oil, explains the "strong demand" currently registered for places that allow them to "play together and participate in tournaments."


Tired of playing on rudimentary computers at his university, the 18-year-old computer science student has just joined the team at this center, which was set up by another gamer.


The appetite for technology, the practice of various sports, and private sector investments began to expand finally in Libya, after it was in a low position on the scale of priorities during the Gaddafi era. The country's esports federation was established in 2018.


In Tajoura, players sit comfortably on chairs or high stools, competing in soccer matches or pitched battles via video games.


In skinny jeans and a white jacket, Youssef Al-Yansi is distinguished by his banter while shooting passes during a football match on a giant screen.


The 20-year-old is used to the "small rooms" of Tripoli, but has "never seen such modern spaces" in Libya.


After settling to complete his studies in Turkey, where he regularly visits video game halls in Istanbul, Youssef says, "I hoped to find something like that one day in Libya."


He added, "I used to go to halls in other countries, and I wished when I returned to Libya to visit my family that I would find such places here (...), even when I traveled, (video game halls) were present in every region, as they receive attention for the sake of Keeping people out of trouble and filling up their time."


These halls and the tournaments that are organized in them have contributed very quickly to building a new world for video game lovers in Libya, as Sofiane Matos confirms, who says with satisfaction, "We have developed in two years."


Sofiane added enthusiastically, "Currently, we are still in a stage that does not reach the level of other countries, but we will develop in the field of games, especially in this period in which we are witnessing great development (...) Five years ago, there was no hall in Libya, no tournament, or anything".


He concluded, "We have developed within two years (...) This motivates the players and pushes other young people who lack experience to train and take this path," expecting that "everything will develop in the near future."


So this dynamism around youth and modern industries is good for “the development of the country,” notes Karim Ziani, one of the avid gamers.


Zayani, 20, sees the importance of the gaming community. "We hope that the idea will continue in Libya" for the "interest of youth and society," he said as he took off his headset and left the keyboard.

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Video game enthusiasts in Libya regroup after years of isolation