The prestigious MENA Games Industry Awards 2024 are coming!
Celebrating the best businesses and individuals driving the games industry forward in the Middle East and North Africa region, nominations have opened for the 12 award categories that span all aspects of the thriving MENA games ecosystem.
Taking place during the Dubai GameExpo Summit live on stage at the Dubai World Trade Centre, these awards aim to shine a spotlight on the game developers, publishers, monetisation services, tools providers, investors, and legends that are enabling the magic to happen across MENA’s rapidly growing games market.
The GameExpo Summit powered by Pocket Gamer Connects will take place over two days alongside the larger Dubai Esports and Games Festival event in partnership with the Dubai Economy & Tourism department to bring an unmissable games conference experience to the glorious city of Dubai, in the fastest growing region of the international games industry.
Here’s the list of categories you can submit your nominations for:
Dubai Games Star
This special award recognises a Dubai-based games company who has demonstrated a considerable amount of success, influence, and impact despite their relatively recent arrival within the industry.
Best Games Startup
Any MENA games company that has been established for 18 months or less, has significantly evolved their business, and made an impact on the industry through innovation, creativity and other initiatives – but has not necessarily brought a game to market yet.
Best Monetisation Service Provider
This accolade is for companies that support the MENA ecosystem through the enabling of monetisation via advertising or other means, and that are helping games and developers in this fast-moving business to grow their audience.
Best Tool Provider
This award is open to any MENA-based company that is providing successful, dedicated tools for developers that assist in the creation of games for all platforms.
Most Innovative Game
Any MENA-based game, released in 2023, which pushes the boundaries of the game dynamics – whether through play mechanics, technical achievements, or use of technology itself – to deliver a unique experience for players.
Best Arabic Localisation
This accolade awards companies that have supported games over the last year in the areas of localisation, ensuring that both new releases and updates go live with as few hiccups as possible, and are localised appropriately for target MENA markets.
Best Esports Service
This award recognises and celebrates the most impressively implemented and strategically sustained MENA esport-related experience of last year.
Investor of the Year
This award showcases an investment within the MENA games industry that has played a vital role in the success and growth of a company in the region during 2023.
Best Developer
Any MENA games company that has released a game, or successfully grown an existing game, during the past year, as well as expanded their business and made an impact on the industry through innovation, creativity and other initiatives.
Best Publisher
Celebrating a MENA company that has assisted developers in releasing a game during the last year, whether through publishing support, marketing, co-development, or investment.
MENA Game of the Year
This award recognises the finest games experience released last year based on creativity, play mechanics, technological, artistic and aural achievement, innovation, audience engagement, and both critical and commercial success. To be eligible for this award, games must have been given a full release during 2023.
MENA Market Legend
This illustrious lifetime achievement award recognises a person from the MENA region who has achieved a considerable amount of success in their career and has acted as a pioneer in, and made an outstanding contribution to, the regional games space.
The MENA Market Legend is a special award, selected directly by the organisation committee of the MENA Games Industry Awards.
Nominations for all of the above are open now through March 31 via simple online submission forms. Shortlists will then be voted on by the judging panel from April 2 to 11. The winners will finally be unveiled at a celebratory awards ceremony on May 2 during the Dubai GameExpo Summit.
With the MENA games market expected to be worth over $5 billion by 2025, there has never been a better time to recognize the driving forces behind this rapidly accelerating industry.
Head over to the awards website now to submit your favourite games, companies, tools, and leaders for consideration. The prestigious MENA Games Industry Awards will put the region’s top talents in the global spotlight they deserve.
