First MENA Games for Change summit to be held in Abu Dhabi

Games for Change (G4C) and AD Gaming has announced that the first-ever Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Games for Change summit that will be held in Abu Dhabi on October 11-12, 2022. The event will bring together global gaming experts to explore best practices and build business relationships with UAE-based gaming companies. The G4C summit will be held in partnership with the US Mission to the UAE and twofour54.

The two-day summit will connect 300 leaders across Abu Dhabi’s gaming industry with international expertise. Keynote speakers include Asi Burak, chief business officer at Tilting Point, Leo Olebe, managing director at Google Play and Chelsea Blasko, co-CEO at Iron Galaxy.

#AbuDhabi will host the Middle East and North Africa’s first Games for Change Summit from 11–12 October 2022, to support further collaboration between the growing local gaming community and international industry experts.⁣⁣ pic.twitter.com/KBD53sezqO

— AD Gaming (@abudhabi_gaming) September 13, 2022

Through talks, panels, workshops and networking events, attendees will explore the economics and business trends driving the gaming industry, hear first-hand experiences of independent game developers and entrepreneurs from across the globe and learn from case studies on using games for impact on social issues like education, healthcare and climate change.

“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,” said James Hartt, director of Strategic Partnerships at AD Gaming.

“The Games for Change Summit in Abu Dhabi is an opportunity to reimagine the gaming sector’s role in global development and international collaboration,” said Susanna Pollack, president of Games for Change. “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. 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, counselor 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.”

Meanwhile, the UAE’s gaming industry is expected to reach $288m in revenues in 2022. This figure continues to increase, driven by a growing youth sector, which currently comprises 34 per cent of the emirati population.

The Games for Change Summit 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 to launch Game Exchange, a virtual exchange programme connecting youth in the United States, the Middle East, and North Africa.

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