GameExpo Summit 2025 Draws Global Gaming Leaders to Dubai for Innovation and Investment
Held on 7–8 May, the premier B2B gaming conference returned as a key part of the citywide Dubai Esports and Games Festival (DEF), now in its fourth edition.
Powered by Pocket Gamer Connects in partnership with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the summit continues to position Dubai as a central hub in the MENA region's rapidly growing gaming economy. Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), the event offers a vital platform for developers, publishers, investors, and tech innovators.
More than 70 leading voices from across the global gaming industry are headlining the event, leading discussions across nine themed tracks. These include hot-button topics like AI, web3, metaverse technology, user acquisition strategies, monetisation models, and game publishing trends.
A key highlight of this year's agenda is the debut of the Investment Summit, designed to spotlight emerging investment opportunities in gaming. The programme features expert panels on market growth, funding strategies, and the advantages of investing in Dubai's thriving digital sector.
Also making its first appearance is PitchPlay, an investment-focused contest hosted with DMCC. It gives game entrepreneurs and startups a chance to win prizes worth AED 55,000, including a DMCC Gaming Centre Package and promotional support.
Returning favourites include The Very Big Indie Pitch and the Connector SpeedMatch sessions, offering developers fast-track access to investors and publishers. Meanwhile, the Futura Advice Pitstop provides one-on-one consultations with legal and tax specialists, underscoring the summit's comprehensive approach to empowering the gaming ecosystem.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ARN News Center
7 hours ago
- ARN News Center
Dubai welcomes 9.88 million tourists in first half of 2025
Dubai has welcomed 9.88 million tourists from January to June, 2025, marking a 6 per cent increase compared to the same period in the previous year. "Dubai continues to set new records in international visitation," highlighted His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai in a social media post. It reflects "Dubai's ability to create compelling experiences that meet the evolving needs of visitors has strengthened its status as one of the world's most sought-after destinations". "From exceptional infrastructure to unique attractions, Dubai offers a model of excellence in the tourism and hospitality sectors grounded in innovation," he highlighted. According to data published by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the GCC and MENA proximity markets had a combined 26 per cent share of overall visitors to Dubai from January to June 2025, with 1.51 million (15 per cent) and 1.12 million (11 per cent) arrivals respectively. Western Europe was the largest source market to Dubai, with 2.12 million visitors (22 per cent), followed by CIS and Eastern Europe (15 per cent), South Asia (15 per cent), North East and South East Asia (9 per cent), the Americas (7 per cent), Africa (4 per cent) and Australasia (2 per cent). In the first six months of 2025, the city expanded its hotel inventory with new openings across all segments and in various locations, including Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab in Umm Suqeim, Cheval Maison in Expo City, The Biltmore Hotel Villas in Al Barsha, and Vida Dubai Mall in Downtown Dubai. Dubai's accommodation portfolio also showed growth with upcoming high-profile openings such as the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai; ZUHHA Island on The World Islands; and Ciel Dubai Marina, Vignette Collection, which is set to be the world's tallest all-hotel tower. A series of tourism campaigns by the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), with international stars like Millie Bobby Brown, Jake Bongiovi, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have helped in the numbers. "Dubai has become even more accessible, with a robust infrastructure and a business-friendly environment that fosters collaboration, while a year-round calendar of leisure, trade and MICE events have further diversified the city's visitor base and generated significant economic impact," added Issam Kazim, CEO of DCTCM. DET's data revealed that the emirate's hotel sector achieved impressive results across all hospitality metrics. From January to June 2025, average occupancy for hotels in Dubai stood at 80.6 per cent, up from 78.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2024. Gastronomy continues to be a key attraction for international visitation and investment to Dubai, with the city's diverse culinary scene consistently recognised globally. The fourth edition of the MICHELIN Guide Dubai was unveiled in May, and it featured a total of 119 restaurants across 35 cuisines, including the city's first three-starred restaurants. 'Dubai's strong tourism performance in the first half of 2025 reflects the enduring strength and adaptability of our economic model, even amid persistent global headwind," added Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General, DET.
Khaleej Times
7 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
'Heart of the world': Dubai welcomes 9.88 million visitors in H1 2025, Sheikh Hamdan says
Dubai is making significant progress toward its ambition of ranking among the world's top three tourism destinations, announcing that it welcomed 9.88 million international visitors between January and June. According to the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), this figure marks a 6% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Officials credited the growth to strong public-private partnerships, targeted global marketing, and the city's evolving destination offerings. Dubai's hotel sector recorded an average occupancy of 80.6% in H1 2025, up from 78.7% last year. Occupied room nights grew 4% to 22.24 million, while the average daily rate rose 5% to Dh584. 'Heart of the world' Dubai Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan, took to X to praise the milestone, extending "a warm welcome to all our visitors—from the heart of the world — Dubai." Dubai continues to set new records, welcoming over 9.88 million international visitors in the first half of this year, a 6% rise from the same period in 2024. This milestone reflects the vision of Mohammed bin Rashid to position Dubai among the worldâ��s top three global tourismâ�¦ — Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) August 3, 2025 Visitors' nationalities Among the millions of people who visited Dubai during this period, tourists from Western Europe topped the list, accounting for 22% of the total. They were followed by: The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eastern Europe (15%) South Asia (15%) GCC (15%) MENA (11%) North East and South East Asia (9%) The Americas (7%) Africa (4%) Australasia (2%) Factors behind success Dubai's accommodation portfolio expanded with openings such as Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Cheval Maison in Expo City, The Biltmore Hotel Villas, and Vida Dubai Mall, helping the city's open-arms policy to welcome tourists. Major global campaigns — including 'Find Your Story' with Millie Bobby Brown, 'Dubai. That's How You Summer,' and 'Dubai, Ready for a Surprise?' with Virat Kohli — also boosted international awareness. Gastronomy in Dubai continued to shine as well, with the 2025 Michellin Guide Dubai featuring 119 restaurants across 35 cuisines, including the city's first three-starred venues: FZN by Björn Frantzén and Trèsind Studio — the latter becoming the world's first Indian restaurant with three MICHELIN stars. Two Dubai restaurants, Trèsind Studio (No.27) and Orfali Bros (No.37), were also ranked among the World's 50 Best Restaurants.
Hi Dubai
5 days ago
- Hi Dubai
DUBAI REEF Initiative Boosts Marine Life and Biodiversity in Local Waters
DUBAI REEF, a large-scale, purpose-built reef project, is already demonstrating measurable ecological benefits in Dubai's coastal waters. Underwater footage from the project's proof-of-concept site reveals an increase in marine activity, with growing habitats and a surge in fish populations. Surveys recorded a notable rise across 15 native species, such as groupers, snappers, and barracuda. The initiative has achieved a 10% boost in marine biodiversity and an eightfold increase in fish biomass, highlighting its early success in restoring marine ecosystems. Launched in 2024, the initiative aims to deploy 20,000 reef modules across 600 km² by 2027, with 39% of the modules already fabricated and 3,660 deployed so far. DUBAI REEF is structured around three pillars: Marine Habitat Restoration, Marine Life Rehabilitation, and Marine Conservation Research. The initiative is part of the Dubai Can sustainability movement and was launched under the direction of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. It is powered by a public-private partnership that includes DET, DECCA, DP World, Dubai Chambers, Nakheel, PCFC, and Emirates. DUBAI REEF also supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Climate Action (SDG 13), Life Below Water (SDG 14), and Partnerships (SDG 17). News Source: Emirates News Agency
