QINGDAO, China, April 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from iqingdao: As China and Egypt celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, a new milestone has been reached in international cooperation among local media. On the afternoon of April 13 (local time), a delegation from the Publicity Department of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, along with a Shandong cultural exchange delegation, visited the headquarters of Al-Gomhuria, an authoritative Egyptian media outlet. During the visit, they witnessed the official signing of a Framework Agreement on Friendship Exchange between Qingdao Newspaper Industry Media Group and Al-Gomhuria. This agreement marks Qingdao Daily as the first Chinese media partner to sign a cooperation deal with the Egyptian newspaper.
Inside the newspaper's headquarters, the delegations toured the editorial department and new media center to learn about the newspaper's editorial processes and digital development. A Qingdao intangible cultural heritage exhibition area was also set up on site, featuring paper-cutting, calligraphy fans, and luodian (mother-of-pearl inlay crafts), which drew the Egyptian guests to experience the exhibits. Screenings of promotional videos such as "This is Shandong" and "China Qingdao," along with an AI innovation short film, showcased the charm of Chinese cities and cutting-edge communication technologies.
According to the agreement, the two parties will establish a regular content-sharing arrangement and carry out all-around cooperation in news reporting, special feature planning, cultural promotion, resource sharing, and talent exchange. Through joint planning and new media collaboration, the partnership aims to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the people of both countries.
Qingdao Daily Newspaper Group has built an integrated omnimedia communication system. Its iQingDao international communication platform reaches 2.3 million overseas users, with a total dissemination volume exceeding 600 million views. With this signing, Al-Gomhuria will serve as a strategic gateway to convey the voice of Qingdao, the stories of Shandong, and the image of China to Egypt and the broader Arab world. Both parties expressed that they will take media cooperation as a bridge to explore potential collaboration in areas such as the marine economy, culture, and tourism, contributing to the mutual enrichment of Chinese and Egyptian civilizations and to local-level open cooperation.
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Qingdao Daily Newspaper Group and Egypt's Al-Gomhuria Sign Framework Agreement on Friendship Exchanges
- Singapore set to host BLAST's third event as multi-year partnership with Singapore Tourism Board continues to grow
SINGAPORE, April 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- BLAST has today announced that the first BLAST Premier Open of 2027 will take place in Singapore from 15-28 March 2027, marking the next major milestone in its multi-year partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
The event will be BLAST's third tournament hosted in Singapore, following the hugely successful BLAST Premier World Final 2024 and BLAST Dota Slam Singapore 2025, and represents the latest step in a long-term commitment to bring world-class esports and entertainment experiences to the region.
Singapore has already proven to be a standout destination on the global BLAST calendar. The sold-out BLAST Premier World Final 2024 marked BLAST's debut in Southeast Asia and welcomed passionate fans from across the region and beyond, while BLAST Dota Slam Singapore 2025 further demonstrated the city's ability to host premium esports arena events at scale.
Running from 15-28 March 2027, BLAST Premier Open Singapore 2027 - BLAST's first arena CS event of 2027 - will bring elite Counter-Strike competition back to Singapore, featuring some of the best teams in the world and another high-energy live event experience for local and international fans alike. The tournament will once again place Singapore at the centre of the global esports conversation and further strengthen its growing reputation as one of Asia's leading hubs for gaming, entertainment and major live events.
James Woollard, VP of Destinations and Market Development at BLAST, said: "Singapore has already played host to two hugely important BLAST events and each one has shown why the city is such a natural home for top competitive entertainment and esports. From the incredible atmosphere at the BLAST Premier World Final in 2024 to the success of Dota Slam Singapore in 2025, the passion of the fans, the strength of the local ecosystem and the support of the Singapore Tourism Board have made this partnership incredibly special.
"We're thrilled to announce BLAST Premier Open Season 1 2027 in Singapore as the next chapter in that journey. This will be our third event in the city and a major moment for Counter-Strike in Asia. Singapore continues to establish itself as one of the most exciting esports and entertainment destinations in the world, and we're proud to keep building our long-term future here together with STB."
Lilian Chee, Director of Sports at Singapore Tourism Board, said: "BLAST has been a valued partner in establishing Singapore as the premier destination for global esports and live entertainment. The success of the BLAST Premier World Final in 2024 demonstrated how world-class events can attract international visitors and captivate local audiences with electrifying competition. We look forward to hosting BLAST Premier Open 2027 as the third milestone in our growing partnership, and we are committed to building on this momentum in the years ahead while strengthening Singapore's position as a leading destination for live entertainment events."
BLAST's multi-year partnership with STB is designed to deliver a long-term pipeline of major esports events to Singapore, driving international exposure, tourism impact and new opportunities for local businesses and the wider gaming ecosystem. With four more events to come, including next year's Counter-Strike tournament, Singapore's position on the international esports calendar is set to become even stronger.
Fans can sign up at BLAST.tv to be the first to receive ticketing updates, exclusive news and announcements on future BLAST events in Singapore.
About BLAST
BLAST is a global competitive entertainment company with a mission to bring mega entertainment to the world, taking esports, gaming and other new competitive formats to the next level.
BLAST is famous for pioneering the esports category through stunning high production quality, big creative ideas and game changing fan-first moments. Bringing together the biggest teams and brightest superstars to fight it out for glory and big-money-multi-million-dollar prize pools in the world's biggest arenas from London and Singapore to Austin and Rio.
BLAST has offices in Copenhagen (HQ), London, Berlin, Mumbai, Malta and New York City. The company is currently working with world-leading game publishers Epic Games, Valve, Supercell and Ubisoft to produce, market and deliver esports for popular titles Rocket League, Fortnite, Rainbow Six, Brawl Stars, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2.
SINGAPORE, April 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- BLAST has today announced that the first BLAST Premier Open of 2027 will take place in Singapore from 15-28 March 2027, marking the next major milestone in its multi-year partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
The event will be BLAST's third tournament hosted in Singapore, following the hugely successful BLAST Premier World Final 2024 and BLAST Dota Slam Singapore 2025, and represents the latest step in a long-term commitment to bring world-class esports and entertainment experiences to the region.
Singapore has already proven to be a standout destination on the global BLAST calendar. The sold-out BLAST Premier World Final 2024 marked BLAST's debut in Southeast Asia and welcomed passionate fans from across the region and beyond, while BLAST Dota Slam Singapore 2025 further demonstrated the city's ability to host premium esports arena events at scale.
Running from 15-28 March 2027, BLAST Premier Open Singapore 2027 - BLAST's first arena CS event of 2027 - will bring elite Counter-Strike competition back to Singapore, featuring some of the best teams in the world and another high-energy live event experience for local and international fans alike. The tournament will once again place Singapore at the centre of the global esports conversation and further strengthen its growing reputation as one of Asia's leading hubs for gaming, entertainment and major live events.
James Woollard, VP of Destinations and Market Development at BLAST, said: "Singapore has already played host to two hugely important BLAST events and each one has shown why the city is such a natural home for top competitive entertainment and esports. From the incredible atmosphere at the BLAST Premier World Final in 2024 to the success of Dota Slam Singapore in 2025, the passion of the fans, the strength of the local ecosystem and the support of the Singapore Tourism Board have made this partnership incredibly special.
"We're thrilled to announce BLAST Premier Open Season 1 2027 in Singapore as the next chapter in that journey. This will be our third event in the city and a major moment for Counter-Strike in Asia. Singapore continues to establish itself as one of the most exciting esports and entertainment destinations in the world, and we're proud to keep building our long-term future here together with STB."
Lilian Chee, Director of Sports at Singapore Tourism Board, said: "BLAST has been a valued partner in establishing Singapore as the premier destination for global esports and live entertainment. The success of the BLAST Premier World Final in 2024 demonstrated how world-class events can attract international visitors and captivate local audiences with electrifying competition. We look forward to hosting BLAST Premier Open 2027 as the third milestone in our growing partnership, and we are committed to building on this momentum in the years ahead while strengthening Singapore's position as a leading destination for live entertainment events."
BLAST's multi-year partnership with STB is designed to deliver a long-term pipeline of major esports events to Singapore, driving international exposure, tourism impact and new opportunities for local businesses and the wider gaming ecosystem. With four more events to come, including next year's Counter-Strike tournament, Singapore's position on the international esports calendar is set to become even stronger.
Fans can sign up at BLAST.tv to be the first to receive ticketing updates, exclusive news and announcements on future BLAST events in Singapore.
About BLAST
BLAST is a global competitive entertainment company with a mission to bring mega entertainment to the world, taking esports, gaming and other new competitive formats to the next level.
BLAST is famous for pioneering the esports category through stunning high production quality, big creative ideas and game changing fan-first moments. Bringing together the biggest teams and brightest superstars to fight it out for glory and big-money-multi-million-dollar prize pools in the world's biggest arenas from London and Singapore to Austin and Rio.
BLAST has offices in Copenhagen (HQ), London, Berlin, Mumbai, Malta and New York City. The company is currently working with world-leading game publishers Epic Games, Valve, Supercell and Ubisoft to produce, market and deliver esports for popular titles Rocket League, Fortnite, Rainbow Six, Brawl Stars, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2.
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
BLAST Premier Open Set to Take Place in Singapore in March 2027
