To celebrate the highly anticipated football season, four regional Augmented Reality (AR) developers – Mohamad El Asmar from Oman, Maha Aldosary, and friends Ibrahim Boona and Fahad Mutlaq from Saudi Arabia have been selected by Snap Inc. and commissioned to create AR lenses for football fans, promising a highly engaging and immersive experience during this period. Through this collaboration, the four AR developers will have the opportunity to showcase their technical and creative potential to football fans from across the world.

By utilizing Snap’s unparalleled AR technology, creators are able to engage users through immersive AR experiences that transform how people experience the world around them. Over 250 million Snapchatters use AR every day and play with AR lenses more than 6 billion times daily. This football season, Snapchat is giving fans new, previously unimaginable ways to be part of the football experience.

Offering a new dimension for fan engagement, Snapchat is bringing together a range of AR experiences and video content to a highly-engaged audience that is passionate about football, the players, or the teams, whether it’s through AR Lenses, Maps, the Camera, Stories or Spotlight. To support regional AR developers, the platform continuously invests in local talent. It delivers accessible and easy-to-use AR technology where creators can showcase their creativity and innovation to a global audience.

Through his three lenses, Mohamad captures fans' anticipation in the build-up to the games, encourages supporters to join the action through predictions, and keeps the spirit of the games long after the tournament by creating and sharing football memories. Maha's lenses capture the competitive nature of sports, celebrating the diverse cultures of participating countries and highlighting the colorful national kits. Meanwhile, friends Ibrahim and Fahad are inspired by the excitement of the games, with their lens depicting the fun atmosphere in stadiums.

Other Snapchatters can also express their enthusiasm for the game by creating their own memories. Snap's Camera and AR tools enable users to capture and share key moments with their families and friends before, during and after the world's biggest sports event.

Jake Thomas, Head of UAE Market at Snap Inc. said, "This is a special celebration for football fans in the region. Snapchat is a platform that brings sports fans together to celebrate and share authentic moments. We are offering the opportunity for the region's creative community to share their passion and showcase their talent to a global audience. We are also encouraging millions of Snapchatters in the region to create their own football memories that will stay with them long after the tournament is over."

A highly engaged Gen Z community talks about and watches sports and football on Snapchat every day: Over 340 million people use Snapchat daily, engaging with a range of content and creative, immersive AR experiences that bring football fans closer to the action. Research shows 83% of football fans use their phone while watching TV, with fans messaging their friends and engaging with content throughout the game.

These creative AR lenses allow football lovers to discover and learn more about football from its most passionate fans. They add flair and fun to the football experience allowing millions to join in the festivities and experience the joy of winning with friends and family. Snapchat will continue working with partners and the community to create new experiences throughout the tournament and after the event.