Biggest ever Dubai GameExpo Summit draws over 1,400 game professionals from 70 countries
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The Dubai GameExpo Summit 2025 powered by Pocket Gamer Connects, in partnership with Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), was held at the Dubai World Trade Centre on May 7–8. This significant event for the MENA games industry – hosted as part of the Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF), organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) – convened over 1,400 industry professionals from 70 countries across MENA, Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Australasia, with a footfall of over 1,700 attendees across the two days.
The summit fostered a dynamic atmosphere for collaboration, innovation, and investment, both regionally and internationally, with attendees comprising 32% C-Level executives or founders, 68% senior managers, and 50% game makers.
Over 2,000 meetings were organised throughout the event through the MeetToMatch online networking platform, alongside countless spontaneous interactions that contributed to a dynamic exchange of ideas and strategies.
Spanning two action-packed days, the summit featured an impressive lineup of over 75 speakers who participated across nine themed tracks. Esteemed panellists included H.E. Dr. Abdulrahman Hassan Al Muaini, Assistant Undersecretary for the Intellectual Property Rights Sector at UAE Ministry of Economy; Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, Acting CEO of Dubai SME; Fahad Al Hassawi, CEO of du; Jê Alipio, Director and Head of Business Development (Games), APAC & MENA at The Walt Disney Company; and several other high-profile experts from across the global gaming industry.
Discussions delved into crucial topics, including artificial intelligence, the transformative potential of web3 technology, effective user acquisition strategies, monetisation models and much more. These thought-provoking sessions provided attendees with valuable insights and fostered the exchange of innovative ideas, talent, and energy driving the MENA region.
A word from the organisers
Chris James, CEO of Steel Media, was understandably delighted: 'Our third Dubai GameExpo Summit, created once again in association with the Dubai Department for Economy and Tourism (DET), was the biggest and most vibrant edition of the event yet.
'Not only did we have more delegates from more countries than ever before, but the quality of attendees felt top tier, and the intent to not only understand the region but also get business done seemed more intense than ever.
'The games industry in Dubai, and the wider MENA region, may still be in its infancy compared to more mature markets in Asia and the west, however the talent and pace of development here is almost as impressive as the giddying ambition. Suffice to say, Steel Media is delighted to continue playing our part in supporting this growth, via our PG Connects events, both here and in Jordan, as well as our leading media channels, such as PocketGamer.biz.'
Muna Al Falasi, Director of Esports and Games Strategy at Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), commented: 'GameExpo Summit 2025 marked a pivotal moment in our mission to cement Dubai's position as a global leader in gaming and esports. This year's Summit amplified the momentum of our citywide Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF), accelerating industry growth, driving digital innovation, supporting SMEs, and creating new career pathways in line with Dubai's vision for a thriving knowledge economy.
'The dynamic programme brought together global leaders alongside the region's top talent to foster critical dialogue, unlock investment, and strengthen the foundations of a vibrant, future-ready ecosystem – ultimately reinforcing our commitment to the goals of the Dubai Program for Gaming 2033. As the industry evolves, we remain focused on empowering entrepreneurs, attracting international investment, and creating a flourishing ecosystem for the next generation of gaming ventures.'
Introducing the Investment Summit… and PitchPlay!
A highlight of this year's summit was the launch of the Investment Summit, which focused on demystifying the current investment landscape and exploring opportunities within the rapidly evolving MENA games industry. This dedicated partner event aimed to discuss the benefits of investing in Dubai, recognise opportunities in emerging markets, and examine global trends shaping the sector.
In addition, the inaugural PitchPlay competition, organised in collaboration with the esteemed DMCC Gaming Centre, served as a dynamic platform for emerging game start-ups to showcase their unique concepts and business models. The competition encouraged creativity and entrepreneurship and provided significant rewards, with the winners receiving prizes worth AED 55,000, face-time with leading investors, and an opportunity to gain experience and wider recognition for their projects.
Over 50 companies applied to participate, with the six finalists pitching various concepts, from blockchain shooters and cosy games to regionally-themed indie games, on multiple platforms and with different business models. Ultimately, though, despite honourable mentions for Anas Bakhsh's Ash Games Studio and Artsiom Melnikau of Birches Technologies, the unanimous winner of the AED 55,000 prize went to Martin Lothe Saeterdal's studio Filiokus, whose polished presentation outlined a plan for great mobile games that could make maths fun!
Focus on Innovative Indies
A returning favourite, the Very Big Indie Pitch competition offered talented developers a platform to showcase their creations to seasoned industry veterans. This opportunity provides invaluable feedback, fostering growth and refinement for each project.
This year's competition featured pitches for console, PC, and mobile devices, with 14 standout participants shortlisted to compete. This made it one of the most competitive editions yet but, ultimately, the judges decided on three clear winners:
Fideo's Adventure by Nomadroid
Mad King Redemption by Secret Mission
Azooma Escape by Ash Games Studio
Meanwhile, the Big Indie Zone, supported by ID@Xbox, featured a vibrant line-up of independent creators and their games. This area was specifically provided to facilitate interactions between attendees and indie developers, enabling the latter to display their talent and latest projects to publishers, platform holders, service providers and more. The varied selection of showcased games emphasised indie game development's diverse viewpoints and imaginative methods. The atmosphere buzzed with energy as visitors engaged in conversations, tried out game demos, and generally enjoyed the latest indie creations.
Introducing a competitive framework to the area, the Big Indie Zone Audience Choice Award (also supported by ID@Xbox) encouraged attendees to vote for their favourite indie game over the conference's two days, with Merge Empress by Tiny Kraken Games emerging victorious.
Fabulous fringe events: networking and consultation
More fringe activity took the form of the Connector SpeedMatch session, which paired game developers, speed-dating style, with publishers and investors looking for their next project. These curated sessions provide perfect first-contact meetings with new prospects, creating valuable connections and fostering new industry collaboration opportunities.
The Futura Advice Pitshop provided invaluable one-on-one consultations with seasoned legal tax experts explicitly tailored for Dubai's games industry. This initiative highlighted the summit's dedication to fostering a robust and sustainable games ecosystem by addressing the complex legal and financial challenges developers and publishers face. This activity, supported and delivered by Futura Digital, allowed attendees to gain personalised insights and practical advice, empowering them to navigate the intricate landscape of tax regulations and compliance in Dubai effectively.
Celebrating the best – MENA Games Awards
Another summit highlight was the much-anticipated live unveiling of the MENA Games Industry Awards 2025 (MGIA) winners. Now in their second year, these prestigious awards aim to spotlight and celebrate the exceptional achievements in game development, publishing, investing, ecosystem development, and the numerous other services and stakeholders that are propelling the industry across the region and beyond.
Highlights from the winners across the 13 categories include Jordan publisher Tamatem picking up three awards (including the coveted Game of the Year), DMCC securing two (including Dubai Games Star), and MJ Fahmi of Digital Dunes (and formerly Babil) being lauded as the MENA Market Legend. Full results on PocketGamer.biz.
PG Connects will return…
The Dubai GameExpo Summit represented the 51st edition of the PG Connects conference series, and Steel Media will return again next May, bigger and greater. Before then, the next stops on the PG Connects global tour are Barcelona (June 3–4), followed by Shanghai (July 30), Helsinki (October 7–8), before a return to the MENA region for PGC Aqaba (November 8–9).
About Dubai Esports and Games Festival
Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF 2025) takes place from 25 April to 11 May. Launched in 2022, the annual festival returns to the Dubai World Trade Centre once again this year. The festival aims to set and influence trends across both the global and regional gaming industry, and bolster Dubai's position as a global hub for esports and interactive tech-driven entertainment, and as a global city at the forefront of innovation. DEF 2025 features a combination of events including a lively GameExpo, esports tournaments, and influencer challenges, alongside GameExpo Summit, a thought-provoking and business stimulating conference and B2B networking event that connects companies from around the world.
About Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment
Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), is responsible for developing Dubai's retail and festival sectors and supporting the positioning of Dubai as a world-class tourism destination with year-round family entertainment, shopping and events.
For further information, please contact:
Dubai Economy and Tourism
mediarelations@dubaidet.ae
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