Boulevard City, a sustainable entertainment hub located in northern Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, is providing exceptional convenience and joy for visitors attending the record-breaking 2024 Esports World Cup.
Covering 900,000 square meters, Boulevard City features the esports arena among its nine sections, which include 200 restaurants and cafes, a three-kilometer walking corridor, theaters, and children's areas, making it an ideal destination for gaming enthusiasts of all ages.
"I was drawn to the Esports World Cup. It was the thing that attracted me the most. The electronic games are fantastic. The Boulevard also caught my attention with its activities, concerts and prizes. I really enjoyed it and I just came back from there," said Arura Khaled, a visitor.
Beyond esports, Boulevard City is a heaven for football fans with its Football Legends Museum, showcasing original shirts from major teams, football stars and world-class players.
Visitors can even participate in competitive virtual car racing games with prizes up to 10,000 U.S. dollars.
The 2024 Esports World Cup, the first of its kind, is currently being held in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.
Running from July 3 to August 25, the multi-game tournament featuring 23 events across 22 video game titles, has attracted top gamers from around the globe to compete in 22 tournaments for a total prize pool of 60 million U.S. dollars.
In its first four weeks, the event has amassed a record-breaking 177.5 million viewing hours and on-site attendance has surpassed one million. The games have gained a global following of 3.4 billion gamers.
Boulevard City in Riyadh brings excitement, convenience to esports enthusiasts
Since the beginning of this year, China's financial sector has further improved financing services for small and micro enterprises, particularly by addressing financing blockages for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), amidst the country's strengthened support for businesses in recent years.
The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission recently issued a document addressing the blockages in the financing process of MSMEs.
According to the document, the range of entities eligible for liability exemption upon fulfilling due diligence has been broadened to cover loans in key areas such as small and micro enterprises, self-employed individuals, owners of small and micro enterprises, and farmers. This move aims to effectively reduce the burden on grassroots credit personnel and address their concerns regarding lending.
Meanwhile, the scope of renewal has been broadened from certain small and micro enterprises to include all small and micro enterprises.
It is specified that small and micro enterprises with working capital loans and owners of small and micro enterprises, self-employed individuals, and farmers who continue to require financing after the loan terms can seek renewal support from banks.
To enhance support for small and micro enterprises, coordination among different national departments, as well as between national ministries and local governments, is growing increasingly tight.
The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission and the National Development and Reform Commission have established a coordination mechanism to bolster financing for small and micro enterprises.
For instance, special teams have been set up at the county and district levels throughout China to comprehensively assess the financing needs of small and micro enterprises.
For small and micro enterprises with genuine financing needs and good credit standing, banks are required to complete credit approvals within one month in principle, guaranteeing direct access to credit funds for these enterprises.
As of the end of August this year, the balance of inclusive loans to small and micro enterprises nationwide reached 31.9 trillion yuan (around 4.5 trillion U.S. dollars), doubling that at the end of 2017, with the average interest rate decreasing by a cumulative 3.5 percentage points.
By the end of September, the six major commercial banks - Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Agricultural Bank of China (ABC), Bank of China (BOC), China Construction Bank (CCB), Bank of Communications (BCM), and Postal Savings Bank of China (PSBC) - have collectively extended over 2.2 trillion yuan (around 310.9 billion U.S. dollars) in newly added inclusive loans to small and micro enterprises this year.
China's financial sector further removes MSMEs' financing blockages in 2024
