Abu Dhabi's biggest e-sports hub to open next year

Al Qana, a new waterfront destination in Abu Dhabi, will host the emirate's largest e-sports and virtual reality gaming complex, its developer Al Barakah International Investment said in a statement on Tuesday.

The new gaming hub, called Pixel, will be completed by next year and will cater to families, gamers and technology enthusiasts.

Abu Dhabi-based Al Barakah is joining forces with Lebanon-based Robocom VR, which will provide the content and technology for the hub.

“Our partnership with Robocom VR will position Pixel as one of the most sought-after VR and e-sports destinations in the UAE,” Fouad Mashal, chief executive of Al Barakah, said.

Pixel will also house the region's first certified e-sports academy with the mission of highlighting the importance of playing responsibly, he added.

The gaming industry – split into mobile games, e-sports streaming, console purchases and more – is currently the most profitable form of entertainment in the world.

Worldwide, the gaming industry is worth $148.8 billion, while the market in the Middle East and Africa is valued at about $4.8bn, accounting for just 3 per cent of the global value, according to a last November report by market research firm Newzoo.

“There’s a constant demand for new and diverse location-based entertainment centres that fit the global standards across the Middle East,” Karim Ibrahim, chief executive of Robocom VR, said.

“With Pixel, gamers will have a chance to fully immerse themselves into new dimensions of gaming ... we will provide an opportunity for gamers to grow and develop their professional talent to compete in international competitions and tournaments,” said Mr Ibrahim.

The hub will also feature an events space to host tournaments as well as an arcade area that will be run by gamers for gamers.

An aerial view of Al Qana. Courtesy Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities and Al Barakah International Investment

Located on the Khor Al Maqta waterway, Al Qana is set to open in Abu Dhabi by the end of this year. With over 50 per cent of the leasable area assigned to entertainment, it is spread across seven districts, totalling more than 2.4 kilometres.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed

Wicked

Director: Jon M Chu

Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey

Rating: 4/5

Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance

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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

In-demand jobs and monthly salaries

Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000

TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues