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Online gaming in the UAE has been rising for quite some time. A combination of a young and tech-savvy demographic and high disposable incomes makes the UAE and gaming a match in tech heaven. With significant parts of the year experiencing scorching temperatures, it's little wonder the young are finding indoor entertainment as an alternative to leisure activity.
A small proportion still views gaming as a time-wasting venture and is concerned about its addictive nature, but the sector still registers year-on-year growth. However, the rise of esports—professional gaming while making a living—means negative perceptions towards gaming are beginning to shift.
Standard PCs and video gaming platforms such as PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo have played a part in the rise of the gaming culture. Smartphone penetration is at an all-time high, with mobile users in the Middle East doubling between 2014 and 2019.
Two items fuel the growth of gaming in the UAE; the local development of content geared to the region and the localization of global gaming content. Take, for instance, Ubisoft's trademark game Assasin's Creed, an action-adventure stealth game. The game's popularity in the region made the French-based studio release the game with a customized interface, subtitles, and Arabic speech, not forgetting its protagonist Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad.
The local gaming scene is included, as various gaming studios and platforms in the UAE have sprung up to create locally-based content. Tahadi Games, a pioneer in publishing Arabic online games, unveiled an Arabic version of the popular web browser online game Heroes of Gaia' Abtal Gaia'.
Abtal Gaia has over 2 million players worldwide, exclusively for Arabic gamers and is in Arabic with no subscription and download. The game can be played using any flash-enabled connected device from anywhere.
As the online gaming industry grows in the UAE, online casinos are becoming an increasingly popular option for players. Online casinos in the UAE offer a more comprehensive range of options and more convenient access for players, which has led to a surge in interest in the industry. This trend has also created new business opportunities and attracted foreign investment in the online casino industry in the UAE.
With endless opportunities for online gaming, the Middle East nation has the potential to keep on growing. There has been a massive investment in technology, superior 5G infrastructure, the creation of a digital economy, and healthy consumer spending. The UAE government has also come up with sound regulations and an ambitious drive to diversify the economy.
Another essential aspect of online gaming is the game developers and publishers. In the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, the gaming culture is community-oriented. There are online platforms where people can connect and gaming centers where one can learn to develop games for free. School meetups focused on gaming have even become part of the education curriculum.
The UAE can set up a similar scenario so homegrown developers and publishers can achieve phenomenal success like their US, European or Asia-Pacific counterparts.
To make more people embrace the gaming culture, the UAE has the world's largest indoor virtual reality park, VR Park in Dubai Mall, spanning 4,000 square meters. The VR Park also has an esports academy and events space for showcasing gaming and technology.
Pixoul Gaming, in Al Qana Abu Dhabi, is a VR and gaming hub aiming to attract players of all levels. Gamers can enjoy games using consoles, while serial players can use the broadcasting studio to live stream using up-to-date technology.
PC gaming is still the dominant force in the industry, but with investments in tech, the UAE positions itself as a prime ground for VR and AR gaming. The immersive experience targeted by virtual reality will take gaming a notch higher. With the metaverse joining the conversation, it'll be interesting to see what role the UAE will play in the gaming circle.
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