• MENA Summit to be held in partnership with AD Gaming, twofour54, and the U.S. Mission to the UAE in October 2022 

New York and Abu Dhabi; Today, Games for Change (G4C) and AD Gaming, the initiative guiding the growth of Abu Dhabi’s gaming industry, announced the first-ever Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Games for Change Summit 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 strong business relationships with UAE-based gaming companies and talent. The G4C Summit will be held in partnership with the U.S. Mission to the UAE and twofour54.

The 2-day summit will connect 300 leaders across Abu Dhabi’s gaming industry with international expertise and the latest ideas and innovations in gaming. Keynote speakers include Asi Burak, Chief Business Officer at Tilting Point; Leo Olebe, Managing Director at Google Play; Chelsea Blasko, Co-CEO at Iron Galaxy.

Through talks, panels, workshops, networking events, and an interactive arcade, 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.

“Through Abu Dhabi’s world class gaming industry support program, AD Gaming, the Emirate is now home to the largest community of game developers in the region,” said James Hartt, Director of Strategic Partnerships at AD Gaming. “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. We’re proud to work with Games for Change to bring this important event to the UAE capital and, in turn, empower game developers in their continuous quest to build great games with a real-world impact.”  

“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 U.S. Mission to the UAE, added: “The U.S. Mission to the UAE is proud to partner with Games for Change (G4C), Abu Dhabi Gaming, and twofour54 to strengthen U.S.-UAE collaboration in the gaming industry and to support the growth of the UAE’s creative economy. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the unique U.S.-UAE bond by connecting American and Emirati experts and innovators in the UAE’s exciting and growing gaming sector.”

Under the AD Gaming initiative, Abu Dhabi has emerged as the capital of the region’s video gaming industry and is fast becoming a global gaming hub. The UAE’s gaming industry is expected to reach USD 288 million in revenues in 2022. This figure continues to increase, driven by a growing youth sector, which currently comprises 34% of the Emirati population. With its gaming population, emerging talent, and rich traditions of storytelling, the UAE is primed to revolutionize the expanding global industry. 

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 program 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 will be exhibited during the Games for Change Summit. 

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About Games for Change 

Since 2004, Games for Change (G4C) has empowered game creators and innovators to drive real-world change, using games and immersive media that help people learn, improve their communities, and contribute to making the world a better place. G4C partners with technology and gaming companies, nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies to run world-class events, public arcades, design challenges, and youth programs. G4C supports a global community of game developers using games to tackle real-world challenges, from humanitarian conflicts to climate change and education. For more information, visit www.gamesforchange.org.

About AD Gaming 

Abu Dhabi Gaming is a collaborative initiative that aggregates the broad efforts throughout Abu Dhabi to drive and build a self-sustaining gaming and esports ecosystem. Its role is to facilitate, empower and create an industry that is essential for the future of Abu Dhabi’s media and entertainment industry. Fostering an environment of growth and knowledge, AD Gaming will provide a support system for the next generation of game developers and players, consumers, and businesses alike. 

Abu Dhabi Gaming is powered by the collaboration of multiple Abu Dhabi-based governmental and commercial organizations, as well as content creators and gamers, with the collective focus to build this creative sector. For more information, visit www.adgaming.ae.

About twofour54

Tasked with enabling a new generation of creative leaders and building Abu Dhabi as Middle East’s leading hub for content creation, twofour54 aims to cultivate Abu Dhabi’s media-free zone and provide products and services to attract local, regional and international media businesses to the Emirate. twofour54 will provide a home for Abu Dhabi’s media and entertainment industry at Yas Creative Hub, a purpose-built 2.9 million sq. ft. connected campus that brings the creative community together and offers world-class production facilities, talent development initiatives, and business support services.

Named after the geographical coordinates of Abu Dhabi, twofour54’s community includes more than 600 partner companies, including Sky News Arabia, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Unity Technologies, CNN, Fox, Flash Entertainment, and M&C Saatchi, and an extensive pool of freelance professionals and aspiring talent.

twofour54 is part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a diverse portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s non-oil economy.

For more information, visit www.twofour54.com.  

About the U.S. Mission to the UAE:

The U.S. Mission to the UAE, which consists of the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate General in Dubai, is the official representation of the U.S. Government in the United Arab Emirates, with the goal of advancing the important U.S.-UAE partnership to advance shared regional and global priorities and deepen the historic ties between the two nations.