The first Games for Change summit in the Middle East and North Africa is coming to the UAE capital.
Games for Change and Abu Dhabi Gaming announced the new two-day event, which will run from October 11.
It aims to connect 300 figures from Abu Dhabi’s gaming industry with international experts, to discuss best practices and innovations in gaming.
James Hartt, director of strategic partnerships at Abu Dhabi Gaming said the summit would empower the city's developers to produce titles with a real-world impact.
“Through Abu Dhabi’s world-class gaming industry support programme, Abu Dhabi Gaming, the emirate is now home to the largest community of game developers in the region,” Hartt said.
“With world-leading industry names such as Ubisoft and Unity, along with so many innovative independent game developers based in the emirate, there is an impressive amount of high-quality games being produced in Abu Dhabi,” he added.
Held in partnership with the US Mission to the UAE and twofour54, the summit will include a series of talks, panels, workshops, networking events and an interactive arcade — exploring the business trends driving the gaming industry.
Participants will also hear independent game developers and entrepreneurs from across the globe share their experiences of the industry, as well as how games have been used to address social issues surrounding education, healthcare and climate change.
Speakers will include Asi Burak, chief business officer at Tilting Point; Leo Olebe, managing director at Google Play, and Chelsea Blasko, co-chief executive at Iron Galaxy.
The Games for Change Summit is part of a partnership between Games for Change, the UAE and the US. This year, G4C teamed up with Aldar Education and Abu Dhabi Gaming to launch a virtual exchange programme connecting young people in the US and Mena, called Game Exchange.
Students across the world design games together that will address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals under the themes of human rights, sustainable societies and a healthy planet. Some of these games will be exhibited as part of the G4C Summit in Abu Dhabi.
Susanna Pollack, president of Games for Change, said the event was an opportunity to reimagine the gaming sector’s role in global development and international collaboration.
“For nearly 20 years, the Games for Change community has shown us how the games industry is more than an engine for economic development — it’s a vehicle for social impact," she said.
"Games for Change is thrilled to work with gaming leaders in Abu Dhabi to build an ecosystem focused on innovation, education, and real-world impact.”
Robin Solomon, counsellor for public affairs at the US Mission to the UAE, added: “This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the unique US-UAE bond by connecting American and Emirati experts and innovators in the UAE’s exciting and growing gaming sector.”
Abu Dhabi Gaming's initiative aims to transform the city into a global gaming hub. The country’s gaming industry is predicted to reach $288 million in revenue this year.
Scroll the gallery below to see Pixoul Gaming, Abu Dhabi's huge esports and virtual-reality hub, set to open soon.
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
Company%20Profile
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SANCTIONED
- Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
- Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB.
- Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.
- Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
- Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
Super%20Mario%20Bros%20Wonder
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The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3
Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)
Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)
Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)
Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)
More about Middle East geopolitics
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
