Invitation to Participate in NEOM Game Dev Challenge 2024
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On behalf of NEOM, we invite you to participate in their Game Dev Challenge 2024 Riyadh Second Edition program and Jeddah First Edition.
This STEM program is completely free of charge and will allow your school to submit up to four teams of four students and one teacher each. In addition to the opportunity to learn how to use professional tools and develop their own fully-fledged mobile game, the teams will also get a chance to compete and win a NEOM Game Lab for your school, valued at 40,000 SAR.
Please review the detailed information below and contact us with any questions. We’re more than happy to schedule a call with you.
Please note that the registration deadline for the program is September 10th for Riyadh and September 19th for Jeddah 2024.
NEOM Game Dev. Challenge 2024
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recognized the immense potential of the gaming industry as a driving force for economic growth and cultural engagement. As part of Vision 2030, the government has outlined a clear strategy to transform the nation into a global entertainment and digital innovation hub. This commitment is reflected in the Kingdom's efforts to host prestigious events, such as the World Cup of Esports, alongside significant investments in game studios and development initiatives. Notably, NEOM is at the forefront of this vision, positioning itself as a pioneering destination that fosters creativity and innovation in gaming. Maysalward is excited to collaborate with NEOM to build Saudi Arabia's future in game development.
We are pleased to invite your school, as an international private school, to participate in the NEOM Game Dev Challenge 2024 Riyadh Second Edition. This exceptional opportunity allows students to showcase their creativity and skills in game development while learning about the NEOM Gaming Hub and contributing to the future of gaming in Saudi Arabia. More information about the Game Dev Challenge can be found here.
This year, we’re thrilled to announce that it is the second edition of the Challenge in Riyadh and the first edition in Jeddah. The competition will be region-specific, with each region having its program and 2 NEOM Game Labs to be rewarded to the top 2 winning schools.
Here’s how it works:
Register Your Interest (before September 10th for Riyadh and 19th for Jeddah): Schools can register and submit details about their teams. Each team must consist of a minimum of 4 students and a maximum of 5 students, along with one instructor from the school. Each school can have up to 4 teams, with the number of students being gender-specific for each team. Teachers cannot be shared between teams.
Orientation Day (Riyadh: September 17th, boys and 18th, girls / Jeddah: September 25th, boys and 26th, girls ): All teams will be invited to an in-person orientation day (9 am to 5 pm) to learn about the mobile video game industry. Through hands-on activities, participants will explore the history of games, storytelling techniques, and creative thinking in gaming. This engaging session is designed to pique students' interest in gaming and provide teachers with valuable insights to apply in their classrooms.
Creativity Test: At the end of the Orientation Day, all teams will take a Creativity Test. The top 10 teams will be selected to continue the training phase and enter the Challenge.
Five-Day Training (Riyadh: September 28th to October 2nd/ Jeddah: October 5-9 ): The 10 selected teams will undergo intensive five-day in-person training (8 am to 3 pm daily) covering Unity Engine, Maya Autodesk, and other essential game development tools. The training will be conducted in English, but all instructors are bilingual and can provide support in Arabic as needed.
60-day Game Development Challenge: After the training, students will have 60 days to develop their mobile game based on a specific theme that will be provided. They will receive continuous support from professional mentors via an online Discord channel, and the Maysalward team will also make an in-person school visit to ensure progress and provide assistance.
Final Presentation and Award Ceremony (Riyadh: December 8th/ Jeddah: 10 December ): The Challenge will culminate in a grand ceremony, during which winners will be announced after they present their projects and games before a jury of industry experts who will evaluate their work and decide on the winners.
Deployment of NEOM Gaming Lab: The top 2 schools will receive a NEOM Gaming Lab worth 40,000 SAR each, and the Maysalward team will fully support its design and deployment.
Just so you know, we will provide food and refreshments to all participating students during the events. Schools are responsible for managing their students' transportation to the venues.
Schools that participated in last year’s NEOM Game Dev Challenge include:
- Misk Schools
- Al Faris International School
- Al Manhal Schools
- Dome International School
- Manarat Al-Riyadh International Schools
- Al-Rowad International Schools
- Najd National School
To help you learn more about the program, we have attached a video summarizing last year’s event along with additional videos and links related to the activities:
We look forward to your school’s participation and the innovative projects your students will develop. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need more information.
Best regards,
Nour KHRAIS
Founder and CEO
nour@maysalward.com
Maysalward
To get started, please confirm your interest by registering your team.