• The move is in line with DCT Abu Dhabi’s plans to foster job creation in the rapidly expanding gaming industry

Abu Dhabi, UAE: In a strategic move to propel the gaming industry's growth in the emirate, the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) proudly welcomes Abu Dhabi Gaming (AD Gaming) into its fold. This collaboration is a testament to DCT's commitment to nurturing the gaming and esports ecosystem, firmly positioning Abu Dhabi as a global gaming hub.

Founded in 2021, AD Gaming is a government-led initiative that unifies efforts across Abu Dhabi to transform the emirate into a hub for gaming. With a primary focus on talent development, game development, and esports, AD Gaming has boosted the expansion of the region's gaming industry, offering career opportunities to aspiring talents and producing world-class content from the heart of the UAE capital. It has become the largest concentration of gaming companies in the MENA region, with over 70 companies operating across every element of the gaming sector.

ADGaming has the vision to be the first choice in the MENA region for companies accessing and nurturing gaming industry talent and scaling game development and esports businesses with global ambition. Working across the education system, with strategic partners, AD Gaming has a long-term plan to train the next generation of gaming industry professionals whilst also supporting local studios on their mission to create great games.

HE Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) said, “As gaming grows in popularity around the world, we are working to harness its potential to bolster the UAE's journey towards economic diversification and innovation-driven growth. Bringing AD Gaming under the umbrella of DCT Abu Dhabi is the next step in that journey, adding a new dimension to our aspirations for creative industries. Abu Dhabi's thriving gaming and esports sector is a cornerstone of the emirate's digital transformation and a core driver of creative industry expansion, and we eagerly anticipate the boundless possibilities this partnership will unlock.”

James Hartt, Gaming & Digital Development Department Director, AD Gaming, added: “The gaming industry is growing faster in the MENA region than anywhere else in the world, and Abu Dhabi has a clear role in spearheading this growth. Gaming businesses across the world are looking to tap into this growth, which will lead to considerable job creation within the emirate’s gaming sector in the coming years. Now operating as part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s cohesive ecosystem, the opportunity for AD Gaming to deliver further value to both local and international gaming businesses, and to the UAE’s economy, has never been clearer.”

Some of the key projects AD Gaming has championed in the past include:

  • The AD Gaming Hub: Located at the heart of Yas Creative Hub, the AD Gaming Hub serves as a dedicated space to showcase the latest gaming technologies, content ideas, and development. The AD Gaming Hub fosters creativity and encourages big-picture thinking, contributing to the generation of high-quality gaming content. It also facilitates access to partners, from publishers to developers, artists, and freelance talent.
  • Unity Center of Excellence: Unity Technologies, the world's foremost platform for creating and operating real-time 3D content, joined forces with AD Gaming to provide support to students, professionals, and small businesses across the Middle East and Africa (MENA) in the game development industry. The first Unity Center of Excellence in the MENA region is situated in the AD Gaming Hub, offering in-house support for partners.
  • University Partnerships: Unity Technologies and AD Gaming have formed strategic alliances with universities throughout the UAE, aiming to upskill and empower students by providing training, courseware, support, and examinations. This initiative equips students with the skills needed to enhance their employability and gain game development qualifications alongside their degrees.
  • BLAST Premier World Finals: AD Gaming collaborated with global esports giant BLAST Premier to bring their exhilarating Counter Strike: Global Offensive world final tournament to Abu Dhabi as part of a three-year deal. The first edition of the tournament was held in December 2022 and represented the most-viewed esports event the region had ever seen, marking Abu Dhabi’s emphatic entry into the global esports stage.

As part of plans to establish a thriving gaming and esports ecosystem in the UAE capital, creating a fertile ground for innovation, talent development, and economic growth, earlier this year DCT Abu Dhabi revealed its plans to drive job creation in the rapidly expanding e-gaming industry, with the positions distributed among more than 20 new companies.

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About the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi:

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) drives the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors and its creative industries, fuelling economic progress and helping to achieve Abu Dhabi’s wider global ambitions. By working in partnership with the organisations that define the DCT Abu Dhabi’s position as a leading international destination, DCT Abu Dhabi strives to unite the ecosystem around a shared vision of the DCT Abu Dhabi’s potential, coordinate effort and investment, deliver innovative solutions, and use the best tools, policies and systems to support the culture, tourism and creative industries.

DCT Abu Dhabi’s vision is defined by the emirate’s people, heritage and landscape. We work to enhance Abu Dhabi’s status as a place of authenticity, innovation, and unparalleled experiences, represented by its living traditions of hospitality, pioneering initiatives and creative thought.

For more information about the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and the destination, please visit: dctabudhabi.ae and visitabudhabi.ae

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