Dubai eyes top 10 position in global gaming sector

Dubai aims to position itself among the top 10 cities in the global gaming industry and generate 30,000 new jobs in the sector.

That's according to Dubai's Crown Prince His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who approved the launch of the 'Dubai Programme for Gaming 2033'.

The initiative also aims to boost the gaming sector's contribution to Dubai's GDP to nearly $1 billion by 2033.

The programme, overseen by the Dubai Future Foundation, will focus on three main areas including talent, content, and tech.

It will bring together digital content creators and provide 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, as well as local and international events and exhibitions.

The programme was unveiled during a meeting of the Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy, chaired by Sheikh Hamdan.

The meeting also saw the launch of three initiatives under the 'Dubai Metaverse Strategy'.

I chaired a meeting of the Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy to review the progress of upcoming projects and initiatives. We launched the Dubai Program for Gaming 2023, with great ambitions of positioning Dubai among the top 10 cities in the global gaming… pic.twitter.com/ch2hIEZBGJ

— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) November 2, 2023

Metaverse Alliance

It's a global network that will include various government entities, international technology companies, entrepreneurs and startups specialised in the metaverse world.

This alliance is designed to promote collaborations and partnerships for both global and national projects that are centred around, or incorporate, virtual worlds or interactions. It will identify suitable partners among global technology companies, startups, and talented individuals.

Furthermore, the alliance will be instrumental in delivering global technological solutions for local projects with the goal of enhancing existing government services, introducing innovative government services, and establishing an enabling environment for new technologies.

Metaverse Guidelines

It aims to identify the most impactful metaverse applications and provide a comprehensive framework for Dubai government entities to regulate and define the optimal uses of the metaverse in government work.

Metaverse Pioneers

This is a comprehensive programme aimed at equipping Dubai government employees with the essential skills and tools to harness the potential of metaverse technology in their professional capacities.

The programme encompasses in-depth content covering the Metaverse concept, its uses, and applications. It also includes a range of events, training sessions, and workshops organised by Digital Dubai to identify future opportunities that align with this emerging technology.

500 participants in 'Create Apps in Dubai'

Sheikh Hamdan was briefed on the latest updates of the projects and initiatives launched within the framework of the Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy. These include the 'Create Apps in Dubai' initiative, which has attracted and trained 500 Emirati talent in the field of mobile application development.

Launched in March 2023 and overseen by the Dubai Chamber for the Digital Economy, this initiative aims to establish a platform for enhancing the technological skills of 1,000 talented Emiratis and facilitate the launch of their mobile applications.

64,000 SMEs on Amazon’s UAE store

The meeting also highlighted the accomplishments of Amazon's initiative, which aims to feature products from 100,000 small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) on its UAE store by 2026.

Since the initiative's launch in March 2023, a total of 14,000 new companies have registered on the platform. This represents a remarkable increase of 28 per cent in less than six months, bringing the total number of participating companies to 64,000.

Metaverse Accelerator Programme

Participants in the meeting of the Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy also reviewed the future plans of the 'Metaverse Accelerator Programme', launched by Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in January 2023 in line with the Dubai Metaverse Strategy.

A total of 10 regional and international startups have graduated as part of the first batch.

The programme has attracted more than 250 applications from the UAE and around the world within four main sectors, namely gaming, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and Web 3.