The 13th Gaming Summit – Jordan 2025 concluded on Sunday in the city of Aqaba. The event was organized by the Jordan Gaming Lab, one of the initiatives of the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD), and held under the Royal Patronage and the theme “Play to Learn.”
On the sidelines of the Summit, the King Abdullah II Fund for Development announced its upcoming initiative, the Kids AI Club, which aims to introduce children to the concepts of artificial intelligence in an interactive and enjoyable way, encouraging innovation while developing critical thinking and teamwork skills.
This year’s edition stood out as truly exceptional, bringing together game developers and creative minds from around the world in Aqaba. The event also hosted the Pocket Gamer Connects Aqaba international conference, serving as a regional and global platform for exchanging expertise and exploring opportunities for growth and investment in the electronic gaming industry.
The Summit gathered around 2,000 participants from across the world, including developers, investors, publishers, and experts in technology and digital creativity—making it an extraordinary event that united innovative minds under one umbrella and further strengthened Jordan’s position as a regional hub for gaming and state-of-the-art technologies.
Over the course of two days, the Summit sessions discussed regional and global trends in the gaming industry, with the participation of prominent experts and investors from the region and beyond.
The discussions highlighted the gaming development landscape in the MENA region, showcased opportunities for growth and investment in emerging markets, and explored strategies for revenue generation and user engagement.
Developers from Jordan and the region shared inspiring success stories and real-life experiences from their journeys in developing independent and commercial games, reaffirming Jordan’s pivotal role as a key driver in the regional gaming industry.
The second day focused on practical and hands-on activities, featuring advanced Master Classes led by international experts. These workshops explored the integration of artificial intelligence in interactive design and digital world-building, as well as sessions on development tools, performance optimization, and guidance for independent developers to enhance production quality and collaborative work.
The agenda also included an introductory session on the Xbox platform, giving developers the opportunity to learn about international publishing mechanisms, in addition to speed networking meetings that connected developers, publishers, and investors to exchange experiences and explore potential future collaborations.
The Summit concluded with a ceremonial tribute titled “Top 30 Game Developers in the Middle East and North Africa,” celebrating outstanding talents and companies that have contributed to advancing the digital gaming industry across the region. The results of the Grand Pitch Competition for Independent Developers were also announced.
The contest was characterized by strong competition among participants from various Arab countries. A number of creative developers received special recognition from an international jury for their exceptional technical and artistic achievements.
The Aqaba Summit followed a series of preparatory sessions held in Jerash, Madaba, and Ma’an, which paved the way for the specialized discussions and sessions hosted in Aqaba on November 8–9, 2025.