In a bid to encourage chess players in the Middle East and provide a platform at the global stage, the organisers of Norway Chess – one of the most prestigious tournaments in the FIDE chess calendar – has invited Emirate’s first-ever female grandmaster Rouda Essa Alserkal to participate in the Norway Chess Open 2025 which will see participation from 31 countries.
The 15-year-old Rouda was formally presented with the invitation by Kjell Madland, Managing Director and visionary behind Norway Chess, today at a press event in Seven Seas Hotel in Dubai. Also present at the grand occasion was Dr Mansoor Al Tamimi, Vice Technical Committee Chair, the Technical Director from the Abu Dhabi Chess Club and Mind Games. Koneru Humpy, two-time women’s world rapid chess champion, also joined virtually and wished Rouda ahead of her upcoming events.
Kjell Madland, Managing Director of Norway Chess, presents the official invitation to participate in the Norway Chess Open 2025 to Rouda Al Serkal, the UAE’s first Woman Grandmaster, as Benedicte Westre Skog, COO of Norway Chess, looks on during the official press conference held at the Seven Seas Hotel in Dubai on Wednesday. Photo Credit: Joy Dasgupta/Norway chess
The Norway Chess Open 2025 will be held from May 26 to June 1 at the IMI Forum in Stavanger, attracting both grandmasters and ambitious chess players seeking title norms and valuable competitive experience. With previous participants like reigning World Champion Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa, and Vaishali, who participated in the Norway Chess Open as budding players before their meteoric rise in the sport, has established itself as an essential arena for players seeking high-level competition.
Speaking about providing this unique opportunity for Rouda, Kjell Madland expressed, “Norway Chess is delighted to invite Rouda Essa Alserkal to participate in this year’s Norway Chess Open 2025. I congratulate Rouda on the remarkable feat to become the first woman Chess Grandmaster from the UAE and she stands tall as an inspiration for women in this region to achieve. The Norway Chess Open provides a great opportunity for Grandmasters and chess players to hone their skills and gain competitive exposure. We hope to find and encourage many future chess stars from the Middle East to play in the Norway Chess Open.”
Madland further highlighted the importance of growing chess as a competitive sport in the Middle East and expressed interest in creating further synergies with potential partners in the UAE. “We are exploring the possibility of hosting Norway Chess tournament in the Middle East and potential partners are welcome to connect with us. We are also working to broadcast Norway Chess live to the fans in the Middle East,” he said.
In the Norway Chess Open category, leading the list of participants is Rinat Jumbayev (KAZ), followed by strong contenders such as Gergely Kantor (HUN), Valentin Dragnev (AUT), Vitaly Kunin (GER), Norwegian Frode Urkedal (NOR), and Chinese grandmaster Jiner Zhu (CHN).
Expressing her excitement to participate in the Norway Chess Open 2025, Rouda said, “I am looking forward to the competition as I know Norway Chess is the strongest grooming ground for future chess superstars. When I first heard that I am getting invited for the Norway Chess Open, I could not believe it and I was so thrilled, I told my coach immediately – that I need to start preparing. This is the most prestigious tournament in the world and I am sure this experience will help me improve my game further.”
“I am also greatly looking forward to meet Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, also some of the Indian players like the new World Champion Gukesh who will be participating in the Norway Chess 2025,” she added.
The Norway Chess Open features double rounds on Thursday, May 29, and Friday, May 30, providing excellent opportunities for title norms in the top group. In the Grandmaster Group, which Rouda has been invited to participate, will have nine rounds, opportunity for title norms and a prize fund of €13,000.
Please see attached images from the event.
About Norway Chess 2025:
The Norway Chess Open is held simultaneously along with the marquee Norway Chess 2025 which will see a star-studded line-up featuring world no.1 Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Hikaru Nakamura (USA), Gukesh D (India), Fabiano Caruana (USA), Arjun Erigaisi (India), and Wei Yi (China) among the men while the Norway Chess Women will feature Ju Wenjun (China), Lei Tingjie (China), Humpy Koneru (India), Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), Vaishali Rameshbabu (India), and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (Spain).
Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women, feature the same format, same prize money, and take place in the same playing hall. Both tournaments follow a 6-player double round-robin format.
A Dubai businessman has launched a London-based investment company to acquire stakes in private and listed businesses in the United Kingdom and international markets. Hari Shankar Tibrewala, who founded Dubai-based Zenith Global Limited and Zenith Multi Trading DMCC, said the new company, Zenith Global Ventures Ltd, would invest exclusively its own capital. Based in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, the company will focus on established private businesses, selected listed shares, technology and artificial intelligence, and strategic acquisitions. It will consider minority and controlling stakes, including investments where it can participate in governance and strategy. “Zenith Global Ventures has been set up to be a patient, disciplined owner of quality businesses. Because we invest our own capital, we can take a long-term view, back strong management teams and focus on lasting value rather than short-term results,” said Tibrewala, its founder and director. According to the company, it has no outside investors or fixed fund life, allowing it to hold investments without a predetermined exit timetable. Zenith said it would assess potential investments on earnings, cash flow, balance-sheet strength and competitive position, alongside management quality and governance. Each opportunity would undergo due diligence and be subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements. For listed shares, the company said it would seek businesses it considers undervalued. Its technology and AI investments would focus on companies it believes can sustain a competitive advantage. The company cited London’s legal framework, capital markets and connections with Europe, the Gulf and Asia as reasons for choosing the city as its base. Tibrewala established investment holding company Zenith Global Limited in Dubai in 2013, followed by Zenith Multi Trading DMCC in 2014. He moved to London in 2024. Zenith Global Ventures said it does not manage third-party funds or offer investments to the public.
Yas Island will become the official experiences partner of the Abu Dhabi T10 for its 2026 edition, under a new partnership between Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub (ADCSH) and Miral.
Under the agreement, all six Abu Dhabi T10 franchises will be based on Yas Island during the tournament, while a number of events linked to the competition will also be held across the destination.
The partnership will include the tournament’s Trophy Launch, Opening Party and Closing Party, with Yas Island’s attractions and venues forming part of the wider Abu Dhabi T10 experience for players, teams, partners and fans.
“We are thrilled to welcome Yas Island as the Official Experiences Partner of the 2026 Abu Dhabi T10,” said Matthew Boucher, CEO of Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub and Abu Dhabi T10.
“The island is an unbelievable destination which will provide an exceptional setting for our teams, our players and for many of the tournament experiences.”
Leon Marsh, Miral’s director of events, said the partnership reflected a shared aim of creating experiences for “fans, teams and families alike”.
“Yas Island is the ideal setting for the key moments and flagship events taking place during this year’s Abu Dhabi T10,” he said.
The 2026 Abu Dhabi T10 Draft, held at Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, saw 108 players selected by six franchises: Arabian Aces, Emirates Eagles, Royal Desert Champions, UAE Bulls, United Tigers and Yas Lions.
The tournament will take place at Zayed Cricket Stadium from 7 to 20 November, bringing together international players for the 10-over competition.
The partnership is also intended to promote Abu Dhabi as a destination combining international sport, leisure and entertainment, with Yas Island providing the base for the teams throughout the tournament.
A Dubai-founded events company is planning to expand into 25 cities worldwide over the next two years, as it looks to build an international business around music and culture.
HOP Events, founded by Dubai-based entrepreneur Kalpesh Kinariwala, said it aims to stage more than 250 events a year across 75 venues and arenas, reaching more than one million people annually.
Its planned expansion includes London, New York, Doha and Singapore, alongside its existing base in Dubai.
The company has organised concerts featuring artists including A.R. Rahman, Arijit Singh, Lucky Ali, Nancy Ajram, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and sitarist Rishab Sharma.
HOP now plans to broaden its programme beyond large-scale concerts, with storytelling, art and other cultural events forming part of its international expansion.
“Our goal has never been to build an events company,” Kinariwala said. “We’re building a platform where culture becomes a catalyst for connection.”
The plans were outlined after a recent Dubai event featuring storyteller Laksh Maheshwari.
HOP is the cultural arm of PANTHEON ACR, a Dubai-based venture founded by Kinariwala with interests spanning art, culture and real estate.
Kinariwala said Dubai’s position as a city with a large international population provided the starting point for HOP’s expansion.
The company said its programme over the next 24 months would feature both established international performers and emerging creative talent, alongside storytelling and other cultural experiences.
“The moments people carry with them for years are rarely the biggest,” Kinariwala said. “They are the moments that make us feel connected, inspired, understood or part of something larger than ourselves.”