1st MENA Games Summit concludes in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, The Gulf Observer: Over 400 global and regional game developers and companies gathered in Abu Dhabi this week to participate in the 1st MENA Games for Change Summit in the Middle East.

Hosted by Games for Change in partnership with AD Gaming, the US Mission to the UAE, twofour54 and Endless Network, the summit facilitated the building of commercial relationships and advanced the global conversation on using games to drive positive impact.

During the two-day summit, global gaming experts from top tech and gaming companies, including Google, Roblox, Iron Galaxy and Fazeclan, gathered with local gaming businesses and talent to explore best practices and build strong business relationships within the UAE.

Attendees were given the opportunity to hear from keynote speakers, including Asi Burak, Chief Business Officer at Tilting Point and Chairman of Games for Change; Leo Olebe, Managing Director, Global Games, Play Partnerships at Google; and Chelsea Blasko, Co-CEO at Iron Galaxy, as well as panel discussions on entrepreneurship and gaming for social impact.

On the second day of the summit, over 30 local game companies and students presented their work at the interactive ‘AD Gaming Partner Arcade,’ giving local and regional companies the chance to showcase their games to visiting delegates.

A series of workshops were also hosted for local talent, focusing on subjects such as the role of Women in Gaming & Esports, Leveraging the Power of Games in the Classroom, Empowering the Next Generation of Games Makers, and Impact Through Game Play.

The Games for Change Summit in Abu Dhabi is the latest development in an ongoing partnership between Games for Change, the United States, and the UAE. This past year, G4C teamed up with Aldar Education and AD Gaming in the UAE to launch Game Exchange, a virtual exchange programme connecting youth in the United States, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Students in the United States and the UAE are working together to design games that address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals under three overarching themes: Human Rights, Sustainable Societies, and a Healthy Planet. Impact games developed by UAE-based students in the Game Exchange program were exhibited during the second day of the Games for Change Summit.