By Sagar V. Mankar 
The MENA Games Industry Awards 2025 has opened nominations across 12 categories to recognize the best talents across the Middle East and North African gaming sector.
Building on last year’s successful debut, this prestigious awards program aims to spotlight outstanding achievements in gaming development, publishing, esports, and regional initiatives.
Game developers and industry professionals have until March 20th to submit their nominations, with winners to be announced at a special ceremony during the Dubai GameExpo Summit on May 8th.
The awards span diverse categories that reflect the dynamic nature of the MENA gaming ecosystem.
The ‘Dubai Games Star‘ category will honor a Dubai-based company that has made significant strides in the industry despite being relatively new.
For emerging talents, the ‘Best Games Startup‘ category is designed to recognize companies less than two years old that have shown remarkable innovation and business growth.
Among the technical categories, ‘Best Arabic Localisation‘ will acknowledge companies that have excelled in adapting games for MENA markets, while ‘Most Innovative MENA Game‘ will celebrate titles that push creative boundaries through unique gameplay mechanics or technical achievements.
The awards also welcome newer gaming frontiers with categories like ‘Best Web3 Gaming,’ recognizing companies implementing blockchain technology in game development.
The ‘Best In Esports‘ category will highlight outstanding achievements in competitive gaming infrastructure and support services over the past 18 months.
The program includes recognition for business excellence through categories such as ‘Investor of the Year,’ ‘Best Developer,’ and ‘Best Publisher.’
A special category, the ‘MENA Market Legend,’ stands out as a lifetime achievement award. This prestigious honor will be bestowed upon an individual who has demonstrated pioneering spirit and made lasting contributions to the regional gaming landscape. Unlike other categories, this award will be selected directly by the organization committee.
The ‘MENA Game of the Year‘ category considers games released or significant updates between January 2024 and April 2025. Judges will consider factors including creativity, technological achievement, audience engagement, and both critical and commercial success.
The awards also recognize the importance of gaming infrastructure through the ‘Best Game Innovation Hub/District‘ category.
All Award Categories
- Dubai Games Star
- Best Games Startup
- Best Game Innovation Hub/District
- Most Innovative MENA Game
- Best Arabic Localisation
- Best in Esports
- Best Web3 Gaming
- Investor of the Year
- Best Developer
- Best Publisher
- MENA Game of the Year
- MENA Market Legend
Nominations for all categories are now open through a simple online submission process on the official website.
A judging panel will review the shortlists, with winners being officially announced during the awards ceremony on May 8 at the Dubai GameExpo Summit 2025.