Under the deal, Sawa Group, which supports the localisation of global video games largely developed in China, will relocate to Abu Dhabi.
AD Gaming, the entity driving Abu Dhabi’s fast-growing gaming industry, has signed a partnership agreement with Sawa Group, a game publishing and esports company in the MENA region.
The partnership agreement will bring together two leaders of industry in the gaming world, helping to facilitate the international expansion of Chinese gaming and esports companies through Abu Dhabi and providing the local industry with access to reach new, content-hungry audiences. Simultaneously, Sawa Group will benefit from being part of the largest cluster of gaming companies in the region, with opportunities to work alongside the ever-growing AD Gaming community on new and exciting projects.
As part of the agreement, Sawa Group will relocate to Abu Dhabi to bring its experience to the area and foster regional prosperity.
Commenting on the partnership, Sultan Al Riyami, Head of Gaming & Esports at AD Gaming, said: “Demand for high-quality gaming content across the Arabic-speaking world has never been higher. The opportunity to tap into this market from Abu Dhabi is substantial, and Sawa’s expertise in the localisation of gaming esports content addresses this head-on. Since its inception, AD Gaming has succeeded in building an ecosystem that supports all segments of the gaming and esports sector. Bringing Sawa into the fold both diversifies and expands our community as we continue to advance Abu Dhabi’s gaming industry.”
Jing Wang, CEO of Sawa Group, added: “Aligned with AD Gaming, Sawa Group is dedicated to enhancing the gaming and esports ecosystem in the UAE, creating more opportunities for the country’s passionate gamers to experience global content in their native language. By supporting its thriving community, we are confident that Abu Dhabi will become a premier global destination for gaming and esports.”
She continued: “Through the collaboration and partnership with AD Gaming, Sawa Group hopes to balance game publishing and esports exposure to make Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE one of the world’s top centres for the gaming industry.”
Sawa Group recently published the deeply localised SLG game Infinity Kingdom, حرب الممالك in Arabic, which has been downloaded millions of times across the Huawei app gallery, Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Along with its own multi-channel network, Sawa Group also has partnerships with top-tier TV channels in the MENA region, including MBC Group, through which Sawa tries to build up deep connections between game developers globally, the core of Arabic culture, and all players and users of all ages in the MENA region.
