The geeks are coming to the capital as three video-game publishers aim to set up in the emirate this year. Arabs adore playing and Abu Dhabi wants to be a gaming hub for the region. To nurture the industry, a 'gaming academy' is being planned by the twofour54 media centre. Ben Flanagan writes
Abu Dhabi has yet to produce its own Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog, but it is only a matter of time before the emirate's fledgling video-game industry reaches the next level.
Media Game companies
Tahadi Games Games: Runes of Might, Ragnarok Online, Heroes of Gaia, Crazy Kart. Established in 2008 by the founders of Maktoob.com, Tahadi specialises in "massive multiplayer online" games. It relocated to Abu Dhabi from Dubai after attracting an equity investment from twofour54. Tahadi licenses established games from international developers, which it translates and localises for the Arab market. But it expects to complete its first home-made title – a first-person shooting game – by May
Jawaker Card games Tarneeb, Hand and Estimation. Jawaker, which specialises in card games, was launched in Jordan in 2009, and is in the processes of relocating to twofour54. The site claims 100,000 visitors a month, and makes its money selling in-game "virtual goods", such as cups of tea and shisha.
Karkadann Games Games: Manny Pacquiao: Pound for Pound, Cricket Power. High-profile associations are behind the first two titles released by Abu Dhabi's Karkadaam Games. Its first game, Cricket Power, was developed through a licence deal with the International Cricket Council. Its second, set for release this year, uses the image of Manny Pacquiao, under a multi-year deal with the champion boxer.
Three gaming publishers are set to open their doors in the UAE capital this year, bringing with them more than 50 geeks set on making the next Tomb Raider, Angry Birds or Gran Turismo.
"I really do think that bringing a bunch of gaming companies together is great for the cross-pollination of ideas," says Mohamed Haj Hasan, the co-founder of Jawaker. At the beginning of this year, Abu Dhabi Media, which owns and publishes The National, launched its own gaming division, Karkadann Games.
And in August, the emirate's media hub twofour54 announced it had invested more than US$2.5 million (Dh9.1m) for minority stakes in two Arabic online gaming companies, Tahadi Games and Jawaker.
The move by twofour54 was more than just an investment: the terms of the deal encouraged the companies to relocate to Abu Dhabi, in an attempt to build a gaming hub in the emirate.
To nurture this fledgling industry, twofour54 is even planning its own gaming academy to help to breed a next generation of coders.
Wayne Borg, the deputy chief executive and the chief operating officer at twofour54, says another gaming deal is in the pipeline. He says Abu Dhabi is emerging as "the Middle East's leading Arabic gaming hub".
The popularity of video games in the Arab world is indisputable. According to a survey by Arab Advisors Group, 65.3 per cent of internet users in Saudi Arabia play games online. That is an audience of 7.4 million, of which 12.9 per cent - or 958,000 - are paying users, Arab Advisors says.
But whether that means Abu Dhabi can play the role of a games hub for the region remains to be seen.
Not surprisingly, those in the industry are confident Abu Dhabi will one day rank alongside Kyoto, home of the gaming giant Nintendo, or Redwood City in California, where Electronic Arts is based.
David Ortiz, the general manager of Karkadann Games, reels off a long list of gaming hubs around the world, from Los Angeles and London to Istanbul and Tokyo.
He says Abu Dhabi has a "promising" chance of being added to this list. "I think it's just going to continue to snowball. I'd say Jordan is the other big hub in the Middle East right now."
Mr Hasan confirmed that the twofour54 investment deal involved registering a new company in Abu Dhabi. "They're trying to create a gaming culture and infrastructure at twofour54."
One possible stumbling block in Abu Dhabi's ambitions in the gaming arena is the availability of qualified coders - those capable of turning lines of zeros and ones into Lara Croft.
"What could potentially slow them is whether these companies can attract world-class talent for the development of games," says Karim Sabbagh, a senior partner at Booz & Company.
Games publishers in other parts of the Arab world confirm that recruitment can be a problem.
"We are looking for skill-sets that are a little bit higher. And that is where we are struggling," says Mahmoud Ali Khasawneh, the chief executive of Quirkat, a gaming company based in Jordan.
Another difficulty faced by games publishers is deciding whether to pitch for the Arabic market, or the wider international audience.
Mr Khasawneh says there is little point in Arabic games publishers making titles for just the Middle East.
"Companies that only develop for their own region tend to run out of steam after a while," he says. "It has to be global."
But others say regionally tailored games are a must.
"There is an lack of Arabic or regionally cultured gaming content," says Steve Tsao, the chief executive of Tahadi Games.
Despite the barriers, Arab gaming companies stand to benefit from a booming global industry.
The global gaming market is expected to grow from $63.9 billion this year to $86.8bn in 2014, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. The most promising category is online gaming, which is forecast to be worth $30.6bn by 2014, a 21.3 per cent increase on last year.
In the Middle East and Africa region, the market for online games is forecast to rise from $26m this year to $42m in 2014.
Yet the most viable business models for games are still to emerge. "The jury is still out on the most promising economic model," says Mr Sabbagh.
Waleed Kharma, the chief executive and co-founder of Piranha Byte, which is based in Dubai, says there are several revenue streams for game companies.
These include: paid games; free downloads supported by advertising; "freemium" titles that rely on in-game purchases; and subscription-based games such as World of Warcraft.
Piranha Byte worked on the word-based game Kalimat, which was the first title to be published by AppsArabia, the mobile app fund backed by Abu Dhabi's twofour54. Piranha is currently working on more mobile-based games. "I have 10 games to be developed," says Mr Kharma. "Each takes an average of three to four months."
He sees growth in the industry worldwide - whether in Abu Dhabi or Tokyo. "Globally, gaming is growing massively. I don't think it's limited to one geography."
bflanagan@thenational.ae
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%3Cp%3EFly%20with%20Etihad%20Airways%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi%20to%20New%20York%E2%80%99s%20JFK.%20There's%2011%20flights%20a%20week%20and%20economy%20fares%20start%20at%20around%20Dh5%2C000.%3Cbr%3EStay%20at%20The%20Mark%20Hotel%20on%20the%20city%E2%80%99s%20Upper%20East%20Side.%20Overnight%20stays%20start%20from%20%241395%20per%20night.%3Cbr%3EVisit%20NYC%20Go%2C%20the%20official%20destination%20resource%20for%20New%20York%20City%20for%20all%20the%20latest%20events%2C%20activites%20and%20openings.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
UAE%20ILT20
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic
John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
EU Russia
The EU imports 90 per cent of the natural gas used to generate electricity, heat homes and supply industry, with Russia supplying almost 40 per cent of EU gas and a quarter of its oil.
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
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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