MY.GAMES, a leading international video game developer and publisher headquartered in Amsterdam, is pleased to announce the opening of a new regional hub in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with local gaming organization AD Gaming. This move marks MY.GAMES' latest expansion into the MENA region's gaming industry, which is currently in the top-5 of the world's fastest-growing gaming markets, according to NewZoo.
Nearly 100 million MENA gamers are already registered players of MY.GAMES titles, with War Robots, Rush Royale, and Hustle Castle as the most popular games by a number of downloads amongst players in the region. Setting up in Abu Dhabi enables MY.GAMES to embed itself within the local gaming community, gaining insights into the latest regional gaming trends. The MY.GAMES team based at the Abu Dhabi regional hub brings decades of expertise across platforms and gaming experiences, as well as programs and collaborative efforts in game development such as Game Drive.
James Hartt at AD Gaming, said: “MY.GAMES selecting Abu Dhabi as their home in the fast-growing MENA gaming market is yet another demonstration of the thriving gaming ecosystem that AD Gaming has developed. This move supports all aspects of our industry’s continued growth, so we are proud to welcome them into the fold and support them in the next step of their journey.”
Vladimir Nikolsky, CEO at MY.GAMES, said: "We are thrilled to establish our regional hub in Abu Dhabi, which is a strategic location with a thriving gaming ecosystem. Abu Dhabi serves as a gateway to the fast-growing MENA market, and MY.GAMES recognizes its importance for the entire gaming industry. We look forward to collaborating with local partners and talent to drive the industry forward. This is just one step in our expansion strategy to build our presence in high-growth markets by embedding our team in local gaming communities."
Alexander Chachava, owner of MY.GAMES, said: “The Middle East is one of the most vibrant markets these days, teeming with activity and opportunity. The gaming community here is made up of some extremely talented and ambitious individuals, so we are confident that our new regional hub will help fuel growth both in the MENA region and beyond. ”
MY.GAMES' decision to establish a regional base in Abu Dhabi is part of the company's "Think Global, Act Local" model. The company’s distributed work approach involves having 90% of its workforce operating all over the world, with access to regional hubs.
The team on the ground at YAS Creative Hub in Abu Dhabi will focus primarily on game development, research, localization, and publishing, while MY.GAMES’ investment arm MGVC will also step up its efforts to identify, support and unleash the potential of promising gaming studios in the region. The company also intends to hire and train local game developers, creating more than a hundred jobs over the next five years. In addition, MY.GAMES plans to launch internship programs with local partners, supporting the next generation of game development talent.
