Games for Change highlights game startups in the Middle East

I made another trek to the Middle East this week to attend the Games for Change event in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

The Games for Change event is built on the notion that games have power beyond entertainment. And it was a way for me to witness the rapid growth in the region and the interest in the game industry. Like Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Turkey and other hot spots in the area, Abu Dhabi wants to grow its own game ecosystem. It’s an enormously wealthy place, as evidenced by the event — sponsored by the U.S. Embassy, the Department of Culture and Tourism and AD Gaming — held at the W Hotel on Yas Island, which is a hotel built alongside a Ferrari race track, and a palatial hotel where we had dinner one night.