Dubai GameExpo Summit draws over 1,400 professionals from 70 countries

The Dubai GameExpo Summit 2025, hosted as part of the Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF), drew over 1,400 gaming and esports professionals from 70 countries to explore the growing opportunities within the Middle East and North Africa’s gaming sector.

Powered by Pocket Gamer Connects, in partnership with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the summit was held recently at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Over 2,000 meetings were organised throughout the event through the MeetToMatch online networking platform, and featured panel discussions with more than 75 speakers, including government officials and global industry experts.

Sessions covered a wide range of topics, including artificial intelligence, web3 technologies, growth strategies, and user acquisition.

A highlight of this year's summit was 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 unanimous winner of the AED55,000 prize went to Martin Lothe Saeterdal’s studio Filiokus, whose polished presentation outlined a plan for great mobile games that could make maths fun!

A returning favourite, the Very Big Indie Pitch competition offered talented developers a platform to showcase their creations to seasoned industry veterans.

Muna Al Falasi, Director of Esports and Games Strategy at Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, 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."

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.