The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is emerging as a magnet for both tech talent and gamers, with the gaming industry experiencing a significant boom in the region. The allure of attractive salaries and benefits that match the exceptional skills of gaming professionals has led to a surge in international studios seeking talent from around the world. For this reason, UAE gaming jobs witnessed a surge attracting professionals from various parts of the world
According to Bibi Zumot, Head of Talent Acquisition at Division, a digital marketplace for gaming collaborations, salaries for gaming professionals in the UAE range from AED 8,000 to AED 25,000. This has enticed programmers and game developers, including those with previous experience at renowned companies like Riot Games and Tencent, to choose the UAE as their new home due to the promising remuneration prospects.
Zumot, himself a seasoned gaming professional, highlighted that there are various avenues in the UAE where gaming enthusiasts can turn their passion into professional credentials while earning a stable income. This trend reflects the growing recognition of gaming as a viable career path, attracting talented individuals to the vibrant gaming industry in the country.
“Given the UAE’s strong support and encouragement for game developers to establish their operations in the country, we are witnessing the emergence of several new studios here, all actively engaged in extensive recruitment efforts,” said Zumot.
These new-gen studios are seeking experts in game development, art design, 3D modelling, and sound designers. “The studios are well funded not just by UAE and Saudi Arabia governments, for example, but the revenue from in-game activities is quite large,” said Zumot.
“We are now seeing AAA-level game developers – Epic, Riot, Tencent – and indie studios hiring in a big way. The demand is high for role-playing games (RPG), strategy and first-person shooter games.”
“If not developing games from scratch, these big studios also recruit talent to localise the content. “The studios are keen on adding local flavour and Arabic language content to the games.”
There are also multiple opportunities in the advertising and marketing divisions. “From influencer marketing to in-game advertising to in-game branding, this is where companies need the talent to use streaming platforms (YouTube, Twitch) and social media to amplify products,” Zumot added.
Universities in the UAE are offering game development and programming modules as part of their Bachelor’s Degree programs in Computer Science. The University of Wollongong in Dubai, for instance, provides a dedicated Bachelor’s Degree in game development, enabling students to acquire the necessary skills before entering the workforce.
In addition to pursuing full-time careers in the gaming industry, gamers in the UAE can also explore opportunities presented by e-sport tournaments, which offer substantial prize pools. Gamers8 Saudi Arabia recently announced an impressive prize pool of $45M for their tournaments.
In the region, the Dubai-based game Farcana playtest, one of the first third-person shooter arena games developed, awarded winners with one Bitcoin. The Bitcoin prize, valued at approximately $30,000 depending on the performance of the cryptocurrency market.
The Dubai Esports and Gaming Festival (DEF 2023) featured multiple live tournaments, including popular games like Fall Guys, Fortnite, Rocket League, and FIFA 23, with finals for Overcooked, Street Fighter 6, and Call of Duty. These tournaments offered prize pools amounting to thousands of dollars.
Mario Pérez, CEO of MENA Tech (a company of GGTech Entertainment), said: “As more and more AAA developers establish themselves in the region, it has become easier to find talent now. And the talent pool is a mix of local and international professionals who moved to the UAE in search of opportunities.”
With the emergence of new studios and opportunities in game development, art design, localization, and marketing, the UAE gaming jobs are being offered as a vibrant and promising career path in the industry.
