emirates7 - The Dubai GameExpo Summit 2025, held as a key feature of the Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF), attracted over 1,400 professionals from the gaming and esports sectors across 70 countries, highlighting the expanding opportunities in the MENA region's gaming industry.
Organised in collaboration with Pocket Gamer Connects and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the summit took place at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
More than 2,000 meetings were arranged via the MeetToMatch networking platform, and the event featured over 75 speakers—including global industry leaders and government representatives—who led discussions on topics such as artificial intelligence, Web3 innovations, user acquisition, and growth strategies.
A standout feature of this year’s event was the debut of the PitchPlay competition, co-hosted with the DMCC Gaming Centre, providing a launchpad for promising game start-ups to present their concepts and business models. The AED 55,000 grand prize was unanimously awarded to Martin Lothe Saeterdal’s studio, Filiokus, for a compelling pitch focused on developing engaging mobile games that make learning math enjoyable.
Another crowd favourite, the Very Big Indie Pitch competition, returned to offer emerging developers a chance to present their work to seasoned industry experts.
Muna Al Falasi, Director of Esports and Games Strategy at Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, stated, “GameExpo Summit 2025 represented a milestone in our efforts to position Dubai as a global gaming and esports hub. This year’s summit further accelerated the citywide Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF), boosting industry development, fostering digital innovation, supporting small businesses, and opening up new career opportunities.”
Organised in collaboration with Pocket Gamer Connects and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the summit took place at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
More than 2,000 meetings were arranged via the MeetToMatch networking platform, and the event featured over 75 speakers—including global industry leaders and government representatives—who led discussions on topics such as artificial intelligence, Web3 innovations, user acquisition, and growth strategies.
A standout feature of this year’s event was the debut of the PitchPlay competition, co-hosted with the DMCC Gaming Centre, providing a launchpad for promising game start-ups to present their concepts and business models. The AED 55,000 grand prize was unanimously awarded to Martin Lothe Saeterdal’s studio, Filiokus, for a compelling pitch focused on developing engaging mobile games that make learning math enjoyable.
Another crowd favourite, the Very Big Indie Pitch competition, returned to offer emerging developers a chance to present their work to seasoned industry experts.
Muna Al Falasi, Director of Esports and Games Strategy at Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, stated, “GameExpo Summit 2025 represented a milestone in our efforts to position Dubai as a global gaming and esports hub. This year’s summit further accelerated the citywide Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF), boosting industry development, fostering digital innovation, supporting small businesses, and opening up new career opportunities.”