Omar Abdulrahman becomes first Arab star to feature on front cover of Pro Evolution Soccer video game

Arab News

Omar Abdulrahman, the region’s most famous footballer, has been confirmed as ambassador and front cover star for the Middle East edition of Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 (PES 2016), the latest edition of the hugely successful football game produced by Konami Digital Entertainment B.V.
Omar, who plays for Al Ain football Club in the UAE, will appear alongside global footballing icon Neymar Jr. when he becomes the first Arab player to grace a cover of one of the world’s most acclaimed video games, already an established favorite in the region.
The new edition of the game, featuring the historic cover, PES 2016will be released across Egypt, the GCC and Levant countries on Sept. 17, with a 20th anniversary edition also available.
Despite being just 24 years old, Omar has made headlines around the world over recent years with sparkling performances on the pitch helping to light up the 2012 London Olympics and 2015 AFC Asian Cup in particular.
He scored in the final as the UAE won the 2013 Gulf Cup of Nations, and was subsequently named player of the tournament, while in the same year he was listed byFIFA.com as one of the most promising future stars in Asia.
Omar Abdulrahman commented: “I have played Pro Evolution Soccer since I was a child. Growing up, I never imagined that I would be on the cover one day, so I am excited to be featured on it in this year’s edition and I can’t wait to see the game in action this September”.
PES 2016 aims to retain the title of ‘Best Sports Game’, which was bestowed on the previous edition at games shows and by major media outlets across the world last year, by continuing to lead the way in the recreation of ‘The Beautiful Game’. The series aims to go back to its roots to create an exciting match between users, and proudly present PES 2016 to deliver quality gameplay following ‘The Pitch is Ours’ mantra. From using the latest technological advances to bring the on-pitch action to life and being fully committed to centering the product around creating the best gameplay experience, to the full redevelopment of Master League, every facet of the game has been enhanced to deliver yet another outstanding product.
PES 2016 will also exclusively retain its use of the AFL Champions League club competition — this partnership allows KONAMI to feature both the AFL Champions League club competitions within its many options, with both featured as individual modes or within the larger season overview upon qualification including the iconic Master League mode.
Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Ƶ and the UAE are among the countries with teams featured in PES 2016.
Adam Bhatti, brand manager for PES added: “We couldn’t be happier with the addition of Omar Abdulrahman facing the front of PES 2016 for the Middle East region. Omar has been a massive success at the Al Ain football club and has a huge fan base across the region. Omar’s amazing skills on the pitch in real life inspire our gameplay design and emulate the PES 2016 experience, and we are confident will help to raise the game’s profile in the Middle East.”