• More than 100 of Abu Dhabi’s game developers competed over 48 hours to create games under the theme “Make Me Laugh”.

Abu Dhabi, UAE: The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) hosted a Global Game Jam on 29 January for the emirate’s game development community to test their skills, demonstrate their creativity and push the boundaries of game design.

The Global Game Jam was held in partnership with SAE Institute and NVIDIA Studio at the Abu Dhabi Gaming Hub, with over 100 of the emirate’s top developers showcasing gaming innovation. Competing over 48 hours, the developers created games that reflected the theme “Make Me Laugh”.

Adding an educational dimension to the event, mentors from SAE Institute provided one-on-one guidance during the Game Jam. The event concluded with an award ceremony for achievements in categories including game design, game mechanics, and genre. The winning game was Crash N. Cash. The top three teams received one of NVIDIA’s flagship RTX laptops, with an additional laptop raffled amongst participants. 

Supporting local talent development, community events such as Global Game Jam provide yet another platform for the exceptional gaming talent present in Abu Dhabi, an emerging hub for gaming and esports.

DCT Abu Dhabi enables a diverse and thriving community of gaming businesses from across the world. Headlined by the likes of Unity, Ubisoft and My.Games, as well as local gaming SMEs and entrepreneurs, over 80 gaming companies are part of the gaming ecosystem in Abu Dhabi.

All games developed during the Global Game Jam are publicly available at https://globalgamejam.org/jam-sites/2024/sae-institute-dubai .

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 emirate’s position as a leading international destination, DCT Abu Dhabi strives to unite the ecosystem around a shared vision of the emirate’s potential, coordinate effort and investment, deliver innovative solutions, and use the best tools, policies and systems to support the culture and tourism.

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: dct.gov.ae and visitabudhabi.ae

For more information, please contact:
Courtnie Peart
Senior Account Executive
courtnie.peart@hillandknowlton.com