Dubai has bet big on crypto, gaming, and web3 gaming in recent years, making it a significant hub for these industries. With its proactive approach to new technologies in combination with its diverse economic growth strategy, it’s set to play a vital role for the games sector, esports, and the adoption of web3 in particular.
Not only is this evident in the Program for Gaming 2033 initiative which launched in 2024 and is overseen by Dubai Future Foundation. A strong indicator of its impact is also the growing interest in the annual industry events hosted in the region around April and May.
Indeed, as the countdown begins there are numerous main events, side events, informal meetups, and not to mention parties, being announced. To help you make the most of your time, we’ve compiled a handy guide to the most relevant events worth checking out if you’re considering heading to the region.
Dubai Esports and Games Festival
Spanning over 17 days, the overarching event and main attraction during this period is the Dubai Esports and Games Festival, which runs from 25th April to 11th May.
Some key dates worth marking in your calendar include:
- Powered by Pocket Gamer Connects, the region’s largest B2B gaming event, GameExpo Summit, returns on 7th-8th May.
Join the world’s leading gaming and esports leaders and dive into talks about AI, web3, and MENA’s growth in the gaming and esports sectors. For those looking to network and collaborate, this is also the ultimate platform where over 2,000 MeetToMatch meetings and Investor Connector opportunities are set to take place. Note that B2B tickets to the GameExpo Summit also grants access to the B2C GameExpo.
- For students, the GameExpo offers an education event on 8th May 2025. Targeting the next generation of gaming and esports industry pioneers, the educational program aims to raise awareness about career opportunities in gaming and esports through live esports tournaments.
- Following this, the flagship GameExpo event welcomes gamers and families to explore immersive gaming activities for two days, 9th-11th May.
Unchained Summit
With topics like AI and web3, the state of blockchain gaming and funding, crypto regulation, and the future of DeFi, Unchained Summit brings together the pioneers of web3 with its two-day event running 28th-29th April.
Among the over 50 speakers you’ll find The Sandbox’s Sebastien Borget, Pudgy Penguins’ Luca Netz, and Mysten Labs’ Kostas Chalkias.
Gaming Matters
Following its 2024 debut, the invitation-only B2B Gaming Matters event is returning to the city on 30th April, as part of the Dubai Esports Festival.
Token2049
One of the largest recurring global crypto events, Token2049, is taking place on 30th April-1st May.
With headline speakers such as Balaji Srinivasan from The Network State, Richard Teng from Binance, Paolo Ardoino from Tether, and Jeremy Allaire from Circle, this year’s line-up is looking stacked.
In terms of web3 gaming content, speakers including Animoca Brands’ Yat Siu, Dapper Labs’ Roham Gharegozlou, Immutable’s Robbie Ferguson, and Gunzilla Games’ Theodore Agranat, are set to draw a crowd.
Still got a blank slot in your calendar? Here’s a comprehensive list of side events hosted as part of Token2049.
MetaCon LAN MXR
Join web3 gaming founders, developers and enthusiasts as MetaCon LAN MXR v2.0 gaming mixer returns for its second year on 1st May. You can pre-register for the event here.
Sui Basecamp
Uniting the Sui ecosystem and broader web3 communities, Sui is hosting its annual Sui Basecamp conference on 1st-2nd May. This is the place to share new ideas and spark conversations about everything web3, as well as dive deeper into the latest insights from prominent industry experts.
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