Dubai deepens Xsolla ties with October accelerator launch

Dubai’s Films and Games Commission is expanding its partnership with Xsolla by announcing a new accelerator programme scheduled to launch this October. Unveiled at Dubai’s pavilion during Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, the initiative establishes Dubai as home to only the second permanent Xsolla Club globally, providing local, regional, and international developers with direct access to Xsolla’s accelerator team and global network resources.

This initiative expands upon a partnership that began last year with a memorandum of understanding, which has since evolved to include high-level networking events, market reports, and now the upcoming accelerator. The announcement was presented alongside Xsolla representatives Berkley Egenes and Rytis Joseph Jan. Figures released by the Dubai Films and Games Commission indicate that Dubai’s gaming sector has grown to 495 companies, marking a 34.5% increase over two years. Under the Dubai Program for Gaming 2033 initiative, the agency aims to add roughly 30,000 gaming-sector jobs and nearly $1 billion to Dubai’s GDP by 2033, positioning the emirate among the world’s top 10 gaming destinations.

Hesham Al Olama, CEO of the Media Development Sector at the Dubai Media Council, emphasized the emirate's goal to establish itself as an unignorable hub for the games industry. Meanwhile, Faisal Kazim, Games Commissioner at the DFGC, highlighted that the agency views gaming as a medium capable of building careers, imparting knowledge, and connecting people. The DFGC itself was established in 2024 under the Dubai Media Council and operates the GameForward accelerator alongside Dubai SME and the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority to assist Emirati creators in building viable game studios.

Dubai's Gamescom pavilion was its largest to date, featuring over 10 showcases, a live stage, and exhibiting studios such as Thera Interactive, Dark Emerald, Old Chair Games, Exscape, Playgama, Yalla Group, and Foxrito Studios, covering genres ranging from MMO to horror. Additionally, Playgama used the event to celebrate 350 million gaming sessions on YouTube Playables, while the Good Game Club podcast announced its relocation to Dubai.