Winners of Khalifa Fund's Venturist Summer Camp game development competition honoured
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)The top winners of the eighth edition of the Venturist Summer Camp – an initiative of the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development designed to cultivate entrepreneurial thinking and digital skills among youth – were honoured during a ceremony at the 42 Abu Dhabi headquarters.Since its launch in 2022, the Venturist Summer Camp has attracted over 750 Emirati students through its diverse training programmes, Khalifa Al Kuwaiti, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship Sector at Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, told Aletihad.The camp held from July 7 to 11 at 42 Abu Dhabi witnessed the participation of 50 Emirati students, showcasing their creativity in game development.Al Kuwaiti said that game development is a strategic pillar in Abu Dhabi's creative economy, aligned with the emirate's long-term innovation goals.'Khalifa Fund recognises game development as a cornerstone of Abu Dhabi's growing creative and digital economy. By integrating it into youth-focused programmes like the Venturist Summer Camp, the Fund aims to equip the next generation with critical thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurial capabilities and support Abu Dhabi's ambition to cultivate a diversified, future-ready economy rooted in knowledge and creativity,' he said.The camp featured two training pathways for students aged 13 to 15, and aged 16 to 18 with a focus on programming, AI integration, as well as hands-on development using large language models and LUA coding. On the final day of the camp, first place was jointly awarded to Sara Abuhalqia and Mahra Alsalami (Pearl of the Damned), and Mohammed Rayn Ahmed and Hamad Alshemeili (Pick Your Poison).
Second place went to Hamad AlKatheeri (Echo Rift) and Khalid Alhammadi with Abdelaziz Yousif (Sands of Unity), while third place was won by Alyazia Alshamsi, Aljoori Amer Almansoori, Aldana Eisa Alkaabi, and Meera Abdullah (Kingdom Valley).
'Khalifa Fund is proactively identifying and building a pipeline of future-ready Emiratis by introducing youth as early as 13 years old to fundamentals of creative technology, game design, coding, and entrepreneurship,' Al Kuwaiti explained. 'Through a structured bootcamp such as Venturist, we are able to not only expose them to technical skills but real-world projects, mentorships, critical thinking, and teamwork capabilities, aligned with the needs of the gaming industry.'Moving beyond training, Khalifa Fund is also committed to helping young game developers transform their ideas into viable startups.'Participants are guided through ideation and prototyping during the camp, while the Fund's broader ecosystem offers mentorship, funding, and incubation support, creating clear pathways from passion projects to viable startups,' Al Kuwaiti said.He noted that they are exploring the expansion of the programme to include dedicated tracks focused on high-growth gaming subsectors such as AR/VR, esports, and educational game design.According to Al Kuwaiti, the camp's flexible structure enables it to adapt quickly to the demands of evolving global markets.In terms of broader alignment, Al Kuwaiti said that the Fund is closely coordinating with Abu Dhabi's digital economy and innovation agendas. 'By collaborating with strategic partners in the industry, we leverage shared strengths, combining funding, infrastructure, training, and mentorship to build a pipeline of homegrown talent. This contributes to Abu Dhabi's vision of becoming a regional innovation hub.'On how Khalifa Fund plans to measure long-term success, Al Kuwaiti emphasised a comprehensive and impact-driven approach to measuring the long-term success of its initiatives in the gaming sector. 'This includes both quantitative and qualitative indicators that reflect the depth and sustainability of the ecosystem being built,' he said.Key success metrics include developing talent that meets industry needs and strengthening partnerships to support knowledge transfer, global exposure, and commercialisation.
'Through these outcomes, Khalifa Fund aims to position Abu Dhabi not only as a hub for nurturing creative talent, but also as a leader in developing a homegrown gaming industry that contributes to the UAE's economic vision and global creative footprint.'
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