DMCC Gaming Centre Grows 30% as Dubai Expands International Gaming Links

DMCC has announced 30% annual growth in its Gaming Centre, taking the number of member companies to 165. Nearly 40 gaming businesses joined the Centre during the previous 12 months, reflecting continued demand from developers, publishers, esports companies and other businesses seeking to establish and expand through Dubai.

The Gaming Centre sits within DMCC’s wider technology ecosystem, which now includes more than 4,000 companiesoperating across gaming, artificial intelligence, crypto, Web3 and cybersecurity.

The growth announcement coincided with the signing of a strategic partnership between DMCC and the Serbian Games Association during Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany. The agreement is designed to strengthen commercial links between the gaming industries of Dubai and Serbia and support companies seeking to expand between Europe and the Middle East. The partnership will explore cooperation in areas including:

• market-entry support for companies establishing in Dubai or Serbia;

• business introductions between the two gaming ecosystems;

• exchange of market intelligence and industry expertise;

• joint events and webinars;

• access to co-working facilities; and

• support for wider international expansion. DMCC

The structure is intended to make the partnership commercially useful rather than simply creating an institutional relationship between the two organisations.

The DMCC Gaming Centre provides a dedicated business environment for companies working across the gaming value chain. Its members include game developers, publishers, esports businesses and gaming service providers. Through the wider DMCC technology ecosystem, they also operate alongside companies active in artificial intelligence, Web3, crypto and cybersecurity.

This increasingly matters because gaming businesses often operate across several technology segments simultaneously. A gaming studio may require expertise in areas such as:

• AI development;

• cloud infrastructure;

• cybersecurity;

• digital payments;

• intellectual property;

• virtual assets;

• online platforms; and

• international digital distribution.

The concentration of these businesses within a single technology ecosystem can therefore support collaboration beyond the gaming industry itself.

DMCC has increasingly used specialised business ecosystems to attract companies operating in high-growth sectors. The Gaming Centre forms part of that strategy, alongside specialised communities serving industries including artificial intelligence, crypto, Web3 and cybersecurity.

DMCC’s wider business district now hosts nearly 27,000 companies, with technology described by DMCC as its largest and fastest-growing sector. The Gaming Centre’s growth therefore reflects a broader strategy of attracting technology companies through sector-specific infrastructure, business networks and international partnerships.

The Serbia agreement also illustrates how Dubai-based business hubs are increasingly using international partnerships to support companies beyond the initial establishment stage. Rather than focusing solely on attracting companies to register in Dubai, the partnership provides mechanisms for those companies to connect with foreign markets, partners and industry networks.

For European gaming companies, the agreement creates a potential route into the Middle East through Dubai. For companies already established in Dubai, it can also provide access to gaming talent, studios and commercial opportunities in Serbia and the wider European market.

NUR Advisory Note

The growth of the DMCC Gaming Centre demonstrates how Dubai is increasingly developing sector-specific business ecosystems rather than relying solely on general free-zone propositions.

For international gaming companies considering the UAE, jurisdiction selection should therefore consider more than licence cost or office requirements. Relevant factors may include:

• availability of the required gaming and technology activities;

• access to developers and specialised talent;

• intellectual-property ownership;

• international payment arrangements;

• regulatory requirements;

• access to investors and commercial partners;

• regional distribution strategy; and

• opportunities to connect with adjacent sectors such as AI, cybersecurity and Web3.

The Gaming Centre may be particularly relevant to studios, publishers, esports businesses, gaming technology companies and service providers seeking to use Dubai as a regional or international base.

However, the appropriate UAE structure should still be determined by the company’s operating model, markets, ownership structure, staffing requirements and commercial activities rather than simply by sector affiliation.