The agreement was formalised during the A2RL Summit at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, where global technology, mobility, autonomy and gaming specialists gathered to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping industries built around real-time decision-making and simulation. The deal places gaming alongside robotics, smart mobility and autonomous systems as part of Abu Dhabi’s wider effort to build high-value digital industries.
The partnership brings together Abu Dhabi Gaming’s industry network and ASPIRE’s applied research role under the Advanced Technology Research Council. Its main focus will be the use of artificial intelligence in game development, gamification projects, technical experimentation and pathways that help studios move ideas from concept to market.
Start-ups and established developers operating in Abu Dhabi are expected to gain access to technical expertise, research support and tools that can improve production pipelines, game mechanics, user engagement and intellectual property development. The collaboration also aims to create stronger links between local studios, international gaming companies and advanced technology firms.
Saeed Ali Obaid Al Fazari, Executive Director of the Strategic Affairs Sector at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said the partnership would combine research capability with the emirate’s fast-growing gaming sector. He said the initiative would support innovation, talent development and economic diversification, while helping gaming companies expand through access to advanced technologies.
ASPIRE chief executive Stephane Timpano said gaming had become a strategic frontier for artificial intelligence and the digital economy because it combines real-time decision-making, advanced simulation and creative talent. He said the partnership would help accelerate AI adoption, strengthen local capability and support the creation of scalable intellectual property.
The agreement comes as game development becomes increasingly dependent on artificial intelligence across design, animation, testing, player analytics, adaptive content and virtual world-building. Studios globally are using AI tools to shorten development cycles, personalise user experiences, automate repetitive production work and create more responsive non-player characters. The same shift has also raised questions over copyright, data use, job displacement and the need for clearer governance around generative tools in creative industries.
Abu Dhabi has been working for several years to position itself as a regional centre for gaming and esports. Abu Dhabi Gaming was launched as a collaborative platform to bring together developers, players, businesses, events and education partners. Its ecosystem has included support from twofour54, Unity Technologies, Flash Entertainment, the UAE Pro League, the Emirates Esports Association and other media and entertainment stakeholders.
Yas Creative Hub has been a central part of that strategy, offering media, entertainment and gaming companies access to production infrastructure, licensing support and a wider creative community. Ubisoft Abu Dhabi, which opened in 2011, remains one of the most established game studios in the capital and has helped anchor the emirate’s ambitions in mobile game development.
The new partnership with ASPIRE broadens that agenda by linking gaming more directly with Abu Dhabi’s research ecosystem. ASPIRE’s mandate centres on identifying industry challenges and converting advanced technologies into practical applications. That role gives the partnership a stronger applied research dimension than standard sector promotion programmes.
The setting of the agreement at the A2RL Summit was also significant. The summit focused on autonomous technology, AI-driven mobility, robotics, competitive simulation and the transfer of research into commercial and industrial use. Gaming featured in the programme as a field where simulation, competition and AI can produce breakthroughs relevant beyond entertainment, including training systems, mobility research, robotics and human-machine interaction.
Global gaming remains one of the world’s largest entertainment markets, with annual revenues approaching the $200 billion mark and growth increasingly driven by mobile platforms, live-service models, esports, creator-led content and digital distribution. The Middle East has become a high-growth market, supported by a young population, high smartphone use, strong broadband penetration and government-backed investment in digital entertainment.
For Abu Dhabi, the opportunity lies not only in attracting studios but also in building exportable intellectual property. That requires talent pipelines, production expertise, access to funding, publishing links and regulatory clarity. AI could help smaller studios compete by lowering technical barriers, but it also increases the importance of training developers in responsible and commercially viable use of new tools.
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