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Conference Schedule

30th & 31st May 2023
DAY 1 | 30th May 2023
DAY 2 | 31st May 2023

09:00 – 10:00

REGISTRATION & WELCOME COFFEE

10:00 – 10:10

OPENING NOTE BY THE CHAIRPERSON

10:10 – 10:30

THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE GAMING INDUSTRY IN MENA

  • – An overview of the rise of gaming in MENA
  • – How developing a self-sustained gaming economy boosts the demand in MENA and how governments are supporting
  • – How to be a successful gaming start-up in the region
  •  
  • Speaker

  • MJ Fahmi, Co-Founder & CEO, Babil Games

10:30 – 10:50

CLOUD GAMING - THE NEW WAVE OF GAMING

  • – How will the meteoric rise of cloud gaming define the next decade of gaming?
  • – How will traditional console makers, compete with cloud gaming platforms?
  • – Impact of Cloud-based and AI-powered solutions on the Gaming industry
  •  
  • Speaker

  • Nikolay Bondarenko, VP of Product, Xsolla Inc.

10:50 – 11:35

PANEL DISCUSSION | THE BUSINESS OF GAMING & ESPORTS FROM THE CEO’S DESK

  • – Will the gaming industry define the way entertainment is perceived in the world?
  • – How will game streaming become the next uber-popular medium?
  • – Will Quantum Computing revolutionize the gaming industry?

Speakers

  1. 1. Aravind Swaminathan, Co-Founder & CBDD, Calyx – Moderator
  1. 2. Vincent Ghossoub, Chairman, Falafel games | CEO, Nifty Craft
  2. 3. Mario Rizzo, Co-Founder & CEO, Artisan Studios, Inc
  3. 4. Steven Valentine Pinto, Co-Founder & CEO, Manabreak LLC
  4. 5. MJ Fahmi, Co-Founder & CEO, Babil Games

11:35 – 11:55

FIRESIDE CHAT: PAYMENTS IN GAMING – INTERSECTION BETWEEN WEB2 AND WEB3 EXPERIENCES

  • – Unveiling new payment initiatives in the gaming domain
  • – Enabling a smooth transition between the fiat and the crypto world
  • – Exploring collaborative approaches with non-card player and opening new markets for the gaming community
  •  

Speakers

  1. 1. Andrea Prazakova, Senior Vice President, MC Foundry, EEMEA, Mastercard
  2. 2. Aditya Meherish, Verve Management – Moderator

11:55 – 12:25

NETWORKING & COFFEE BREAK

12:25 – 13:10

PANEL DISCUSSION | REGIONAL LOCALIZATION & WHY IT MATTERS

  • – Making gamers feel more important by designing a game, especially for them
  • – Cover a larger demographic, inducting more players in the region.
  • – Providing a larger competitive edge and accelerating ahead of the competition

Speakers

  1. 1. Naji Ghaziri, Senior Operations Manager, Level Infinite MENA, Tencent Games Global – Moderator
  2. 2. Jing Wang, Founder and CEO, Sawa Group
  3. 3. Lokesh Suji, Director – Esports Federation of India | VP – Asian Esports Federation
  4. 4. Rafed Salem, Head of Localization, Riot Games
  5. 5. Madiha Naz, Professional Player, Galaxy Racer
  6. 6. Noor ul ain Fatima, Co-Founder & Chief Gaming Officer, Bleeding Edge Studio
  7. 7. Ahmed Gamal-Eldin, Regional Director, Connect Ads

13:10 – 13:30

2023 MENAP GAMETECH INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE

  • – Overview of global trends shaping our middle eastern gaming market
  • – Investments globally and the rise of MENAP early-stage gaming companies
  • – Industry challenges and opportunities in MENAP

Speaker

Tarek Fouad, Partner, Shorooq Partners

13:30 – 14:15

FIRESIDE CHAT | LEVERAGING AI TO CREATE COMPELLING GAMING NARRATIVES

    • – Enhancing gameplay with AI-generated narratives and procedural content
    • – What are the Ethical considerations for AI in game design, including bias and privacy
    • – Future applications of AI in gaming and their potential impact

Speakers

  1. 1. Jamie McClenaghan, CEO, Classy Games Studios (Moderator)
  2. 2. Kareem Seddik, CEO & Founder, YallaPlay Games
  3. 3. Lokesh Suji, Director – Esports Federation of India | VP – Asian Esports Federation

14:15 – 14:35

GAMING FUSION: BLENDING ENTERTAINMENT AND GAMING FOR THE FUTURE

    • – How will players become the driving force behind the evolution of blending entertainment and gaming?
    • – Discuss the concept of player-led initiatives in the development of immersive storytelling
    • – How will this be a catalyst in revolutionizing the gaming landscape?

Speaker

Loren Roosendaal, Founder & CEO, Galactic Entertainment

14:35 – 14:45    

CLOSING REMARKS AND END OF DAY ONE

14:45 – 15:45

NETWORKING LUNCHEON

09:00 – 10:00

REGISTRATION & WELCOME COFFEE

10:00 – 10:10

OPENING NOTE BY THE CHAIRPERSON

10:10 – 10:30

ESPORTS IN MENA - A BILLION-DOLLAR PIE

  • – What does this mean for regional investors?
  • – Opportunities for growth for Esports in MENA
  • – Development of a propitious ecosystem in Esports

Speaker

Tariq Radwan Al Kfaery, Esports Lead MENA, Riot Games

10:30 – 10:50

HOW ANALYTICS & DATA IS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF ESPORTS

  • – Leveraging insights into customer metrics and user behavior to enhance revenue opportunities
  • – Role of stats, data & detailed analytics for games in Esports
  • – Why analytics & data optimization is the biggest weapon in gaming & Esports?

Speaker

Raheel Iqbal, CEO, The Game Storm Studios

10:50 – 11:35

PANEL DISCUSSION | GAMING IN METAVERSE AND WEB3 - REDEFINING THE PARADIGM OF GAMING

  • – The acceleration of Metaverse from our digital behaviors to localize the game?
  • – What are the amplified challenges, blurring jurisdictions, and unexpected outcomes?
  • – How will decentralized projects since the future seems to be taking a decentralized approach?

Speakers

  1. 1. Denis Puhleacov, CEO & Founder, Red Rift – Moderator
  2. 2. Rohit Singh, Founder, Ninetys Station Lab, First Ray Games
  3. 3. David Fernandez Remesal, Chief Executive Officer, Sandsoft Games
  4. 4. Raheel Iqbal, CEO, The Game Storm Studios
  5. 5. Ziad Talge, Founder and CEO, Yayy

11:35 – 11:55

MORE THAN JUST A GAME - EDUCATION, AN INTEGRAL PART OF ESPORTS

    • – The need of the hour, as Esports is now a thriving economy
    • – Identifying and sharpening student skills to be industry ready
    • – Development of a propitious ecosystem in Esports
  •  
  • Speaker

    Michael Rüsz, Esport Academy Director, NASR Esports

11:55 – 12:25

NETWORKING BREAK

12:25 – 13:15

PANEL DISCUSSION | PUBLISHERS AND DEVELOPERS, REDEFINING THE GAMING LANDSCAPE

    • – The Impact of new AI Technologies on game development
    • – Rising above consumers demand better graphics and gameplay quality
    • – Countering the complexity of games being developed for better immersive gaming
  •  
  • Speakers

    1. 1. Jamie McClenaghan, CEO, Classy Games Studios – Moderator
    2. 2. Maros Bezak, Chief Strategy Officer, Tamatem
    3. 3. Ahmad Al-Natsheh, CEO, Khosouf Studio
    4. 4. Murshid C, CEO, Cakebyte
    5. 5. Mohamad Zehtabi, Studio Director, LeanGo Studio

13:15 – 13:35

MOBILE GAMING - IS IT AN EXTENSION TO ESPORTS?

    • – Hyper-casual games continue to rule the top charts
    • – Esports is on the rise as the popularity of watching games increase
    • – The rise of In-App Subscription Model is on the rise
    •  
    • Speakers

      Jing Wang, Founder and CEO, Sawa Group

13:35 – 13:55   

VIRTUAL ECONOMIES AND THEIR PLACE IN THE METAVERSE

    • – Discussing the history and key components of a virtual world
    • – Explore the impact the virtual economies, especially the ones designed for the metaverse
    • – Bridging the gap between Web2 & Web3 for gaming audience
    •  
    • Speakers

      Mario Rizzo, Co-Founder & CEO, Artisan Studios, Inc

13:55 – 14:00

CLOSING REMARKS AND END OF THE CONFERENCE

14:00 – 15:00

NETWORKING LUNCHEON