"Wonders Studio" He wins a title "Arab Youth Hackathon" And a prize of 350 thousand dirhams for a game "simulation"
DUBAI, 12 February / WAM / The Arab Youth Center crowned the “Ajaib Studio” project team in first place in the “Arab Youth Hackathon – Electronic Games Edition”, which was held under the slogan “Electronic Games with an Arab Identity”, where the team won a financial prize of 350,000 dirhams provided by the Center to support the development of their winning game “Simulation”, and move it to advanced stages of marketing and preparation for global competition, at the conclusion of the program activities, which witnessed the participation of 50 young men and women from 10 Arab countries.
The announcement of the winners came during the center’s participation in the World Government Summit in Dubai, which concluded its activities on the fifth of February, as part of the Arab Young Leaders Meeting. This achievement represents the culmination of joint strategic efforts with the Dubai Chamber for the Digital Economy and Abu Dhabi Gaming and Electronic Sports, with golden sponsorship from the Tiger Holding Group, and in cooperation with (Games Ventures) and (Futuregames).
The winning project, “Simulation,” was distinguished by being the result of an intensive training and application process that simulated the work environment of international game development studios, starting from the idea’s crystallization up to the prototype and the testable version. The “Studio Wonders” team designed the game world to embody a comprehensive Arab identity, which reflects the success of the model adopted by the hackathon in its applied phase, which was implemented at the “Abu Dhabi Sports and Electronic Games” headquarters, with the aim of integrating regional and international efforts to support the games industry and empower talents. The young woman creates original content inspired by Arab culture and capable of competing in international markets.
Commenting on this achievement, Engineer Fatima Al-Halami, Executive Director of the Arab Youth Center, said that the “Arab Youth Hackathon – Electronic Games Edition” presented an advanced Arab model for qualifying game developers, based on the Center’s belief that Arab identity represents a rich source for storytelling and building digital worlds, stressing that transforming culture into a contemporary digital interactive experience opens new horizons for Arabic content in the global creative economy.
She also pointed out that the participation of creators in this event reflects the ability of young people to lead in the fields of innovation, and proves that electronic games have become a promising economic and creative path, appreciating the great efforts of partners, supporters, and judging committees, and the commitment of young people, which was the decisive factor in transforming ideas into promising models that reflect the ambition of the Arab generation.
Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of the Dubai Chamber for Digital Economy, confirmed that the hackathon constituted a qualitative platform to empower young talents in the electronic gaming sector, which is one of the most promising sectors in the digital economy. He pointed out that the success achieved demonstrates the ability of Arab youth to provide competitive content that combines creativity and culture. He explained that the strategic partnership with this event comes within the framework of the Chamber’s commitment to developing an incubating environment for digital talents and enhancing Dubai’s position as a global center for the digital economy and gaming industry, while continuing to support investment in the capabilities of young people and providing them with opportunities to interact with… Sector leaders and investors to build a sustainable digital economy.
It is noteworthy that the Arab Youth Center had launched this version of the hackathon in October 2025, as the first integrated regional program aimed at qualifying Arab youth to enter the gaming industry through the portal of professionalism, by transforming the Arab cultural inventory into interactive content that keeps pace with global transformations. The program included interconnected stages that began with recruitment and selection, through training and idea building, reaching an intensive application stage that focused on developing the final version and improving the gaming experience, concluding with the announcement of the winning projects within the final presentation to evaluate the competing games.
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