Dubai Games Forum set for Arab Media Summit
The Dubai Films and Games Commission will host a dedicated Games Forum at the Arab Media Summit 2026, bringing together gaming executives and industry experts to discuss the future of the sector.
The forum will run during the Arab Media Summit from September 15 to 17 at Dubai World Trade Centre and will cover the economic, creative and social dimensions of gaming, as well as its growing role in digital and interactive content.
Organised by the Dubai Films and Games Commission, a Dubai Media Council entity, the Games Forum will examine areas including investment, changing business models and the relationship between gaming companies, platforms and players.
Discussions will also look at the industry's role beyond entertainment, including its potential applications in education and social impact, alongside the development of talent and production ecosystems.
Faisal Kazim, Games Commissioner at the Dubai Films and Games Commission, said gaming could no longer be treated as a secondary part of the wider media industry.
“The media world can no longer treat gaming as a side conversation,” Kazim said. “It is one of the largest industries in the world, and the decisions being made inside it, on business models, on talent, on where studios choose to base themselves, are being made right now.”
“The Games Forum brings those decisions to one table in Dubai: the leaders building billion-dollar companies, the platforms reshaping how games reach players, and the people proving
that games can educate and drive real social impact.”
Among the sessions announced for the forum is Who Owns the Shelf?, featuring Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at Xsolla, and Kishan Palija, CEO of Geekay Group.
Moderated by Siobhan McCarthy, Head of Communications for Tencent Middle East, the session will examine changes in games distribution, including publishers selling directly to consumers, the expansion of digital platforms and continued demand for physical games.
Another session, Are Games Quietly Becoming a Force for Good?, will feature Jude Ower, Founder and Host of the Good Game Club Podcast; Sibel Saylan, Partnership Specialist at UNDP; and Mona Ghander, Vice President of Innovative Solutions and Strategic Partnerships at the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation.
Moderated by Kazim, the discussion will explore gaming's social impact, including accessibility, initiatives supporting players with disabilities, the use of games in classrooms, serious games research and therapeutic design.
Saifi Ismail, President of Yalla Group Limited, will also take part in a session titled Inside the Billion Dollar Gaming Empire.
Moderated by Omar Butti, Director of Media Governance at Dubai Media Council, the session will examine the decisions involved in operating a major gaming company, including revenue strategies, artificial intelligence, industry consolidation and long-term investment.
The Games Forum forms part of the wider Arab Media Summit 2026 programme and will run across the three-day event in Dubai.
Event: Arab Media Summit 2026, September 15-17, Dubai World Trade Centre.
More information: https://arabmediasummit.ae/
Comments