Dubai Films and Games Commission announces strategic headline partnership with Good Game Club podcast at GamesBeat Summit 2026

Dubai: The Dubai Films and Games Commission (DFGC) announced a strategic headline partnership with the Good Game Club podcast at the GamesBeat Summit 2026 in Los Angeles, reinforcing its efforts to build a gaming industry defined by positive impact.

The partnership aims to advance global dialogue on the positive economic, social and creative impact of video games, alongside Good Game Club’s founding partner, Tencent. The initiative positions the Dubai Films and Games Commission at the centre of global conversations on the future of gaming.

Launched earlier this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Good Game Club podcast is hosted by Jude Ower MBE, Chief Strategy Officer at PlanetPlay, and Mathias Gredal Nørvig, CEO of SYBO. Building on their bestselling book Gaming For Good, the podcast brings together voices from gaming, culture, business, and policy to explore the economic, social and creative impact of video games.

The partnership reflects Dubai's commitment to its creators and community, and a belief in the impact that gaming can have. By taking a long-term approach and benefiting from a rapidly expanding developer ecosystem, Dubai is building the conditions for talent to imagine, create, and call the city home.

Faisal Kazim, Games Commissioner at the Dubai Films and Games Commission, said: “Dubai's vision is to establish the emirate as a global capital for the creative industries, and gaming is at the heart of that ambition. Our partnership with the Good Game Club reflects a shared vision for fostering a gaming industry that drives creative exchange, nurtures talent, attracts studios and creators from around the world, and creates a positive impact across communities and people’s lives. By hosting these conversations in Dubai, we are reinforcing the emirate’s role as a global meeting point that connects people and ideas to shape the future of the industry.”

Jude Ower, host of the Good Game Club podcast, said: “This partnership marks an exciting new chapter for the Good Game Club podcast, which reflects the vision we share with the Dubai Films and Games Commission to redefine gaming as a force for good. The Commission is not just investing in gaming as an industry, but in the role gaming can play in shaping people, society and the creative landscape. By establishing Dubai as our regional home, we’re bringing the global conversation about gaming directly to one of the fastest-growing markets in the world, and a primary destination for building the future of gaming.”

The gaming industry has become one of Dubai’s fastest-growing creative sectors, with more than 350 gaming-related companies operating in the emirate. Dubai aims to create 30,000 new jobs in the sector and generate a $1 billion contribution to GDP by 2033.

Dubai is also at the heart of the rapid expansion of the Middle East’s gaming industry, one of the world’s fastest-growing markets. Across the wider region, the gaming market in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt is projected to reach $2.8 billion by 2029, supported by a player base of more than 84 million people. Growth in the region is driven by a young, highly engaged gaming community and rising demand for content, infrastructure, and creative talent.

The partnership was announced during a panel session at GamesBeat Summit 2026 hosted by GamesBeat Editorial Director Dean Takahashi, featuring Faisal Kazim, Jude Ower, and Mathias Gredal Nørvig. A recording of the discussion will be released as an episode of the Good Game Club podcast on 22 May 2026.

GamesBeat Summit 2026 is a major global leadership-driven forum designed for the people building, funding, scaling, and operating the future of the gaming industry. The summit serves as a platform to explore the trends, technologies and business models transforming interactive entertainment, with discussions spanning AI, live operations, monetisation, distribution, discovery and cross-media convergence. The 2026 edition, taking place in Los Angeles from 18–19 May, features more than 600 attendees and over 100 speakers from across the global gaming and technology ecosystem.