PHOTO
DUBAI: The Electronic game and e-sports sector in the UAE is on the verge of significant growth and development, driven by future plans, strategic partnerships, and initiatives aimed at positioning the country as a global hub in this industry by 2033.
A report by ‘’Statista's Insights'', highlighted remarkable growth in the UAE’s electronic gaming market, with expectations of a significant increase in the number of players and market revenue, reaching approximately $492 million by 2027.
The market, which includes traditional video games and online gaming, is expected to maintain a steady annual growth rate of 5.88 percent during the same period, with the number of video game users anticipated to reach 1.7 million by 2027.
In light of this growth, Dubai launched the ‘’Programme for Gaming 2033,'' which aims to position the emirate among the top 10 global gaming hubs by 2033.
The programme also aims to significantly boost the sector's contribution to the growth of Dubai's digital economy and increase the GDP by approximately $1 billion by 2033.
The Programme focuses on three main areas including talent, content and tech in line with various national strategies that aim to strengthen the UAE and Dubai’s digital economy.
The initiative aims to create a global platform in Dubai that brings together digital content creators and provides training and job opportunities in partnership with international companies, universities and academic institutions. It will also support entrepreneurs and innovators, as well as launch specialised educational and training programmes.
Dubai has also introduced the "Dubai Gaming Visa," aimed at supporting talent, creators, and pioneers in the electronic gaming sector, encouraging them to develop their skills and offering numerous investment opportunities to help turn innovative ideas into successful projects.
Dubai also announced that it will host the Games of the Future 2025 following the UAE's selection as the host city at a ceremony in Istanbul last month.
Scheduled for autumn 2025, the Games of the Future will bring thousands of athletes and esports professionals from up to 100 countries to Dubai for the tournament, with ambitions to create up to 30,000 new jobs linked to the gaming sector by 2033.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi's electronic gaming sector continues to enhance its global competitiveness by attracting leading developers, publishers, and talent.
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) announced in March that it was supporting leading Arabic mobile games publisher Tamatem Games in relocating its headquarters to Abu Dhabi, fuelling its next growth phase and reinforcing the emirate’s gaming ecosystem.
Abu Dhabi’s gaming landscape has over 70 content-creating companies, and ADIO aims to support this ecosystem through strategic collaborations in line with Abu Dhabi’s focus on innovation and technology. ADIO recently collaborated with Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video gaming companies which develops, publishes and distributes games for consoles, PCs and mobile.
Faisal Zaidi President of Exscap highlighted the Games of the Future 2025 is a pivotal milestone, offering an ideal opportunity to showcase innovations in digital gaming and the metaverse.
In a related context, in Abu Dhabi, the gaming company is set to put in over $280 million to create a private island boasting unique experiences, including a PUBG-inspired parachute jump, a high-end training facility for professional gamers and teams, and a state-of-the-art arena hosting major events.
In July, Abu Dhabi hosted the official activities of the largest collegiate e-sports competition in the region, under a partnership agreement between the UAE ESports Federation and MENA Tech Entertainment (the event organiser), aimed at encouraging gaming and technology-related initiatives within the academic ecosystem.
In Sharjah, the second edition of the Shams Gaming" E-sports Championship, held in December, attracted numerous electronic gaming enthusiasts.
The event featured participation from entrepreneurs and small business investors seeking to capitalise on the rapid growth of the e-sports industry across the UAE.