Travellers flying from Dubai International Airport can now access the region's first airport gaming lounge.
Game Space has launched inside Emirates’ Terminal 3 at the world's busiest airport.
The unique lounge experience is the first of its kind in Europe, Middle East and Africa. It offers more than 40 video titles to entertain game-loving travellers during their pre-flight preparations.
Accessible to all passengers for a fee, the lounge is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Inside, there are 20 leading titles spread across 40 stations, offering both PCs and consoles. Each station has a 50-inch screen, plus side-by-side seating for solo or multi-player gaming.
Travellers accessing the lounge can hone their Fortnite skills, take the wheel in Gran Turismo 7 or jump into favourites such as League of Legends or Crash Bandicoot.
Passengers flying in or out of Dubai as part of their Fifa World Cup 2022 journey can also embrace the game at the lounge, with several football-themed titles on offer.
Republic of Gamers — known for creating some of the world’s most popular gaming experiences — has provided hardware for 20 of the 40 stations, each of which comes with the brand's award-winning motherboard, high-resolution headsets, a high-precision mouse and an ergonomic gaming chair.
“We are excited to work with Dubai Airports to deliver an innovative new gaming experience for travellers at the world’s leading hub,” said Errol McGlothan, co-director at Game Space. “We know that gaming is incredibly popular in the region and Game Space will allow travellers to change their waiting time at the airport into their gaming time."
The lounge will also offer food and drink options.
Priority Pass members can access the lounge as part of their membership and additional membership programmes are expected to be announced in the near future.
Game Space is the latest lounge to debut at the world's busiest airport this year. A Sleep n Fly Lounge opened in Terminal 3 in July, consisting of double, bunk and family cabins and power nap pods.
Watch: Inside the biggest sleep pod lounge at Dubai International Airport
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Founder: Ayman Badawi
Date started: Test product September 2016, paid launch January 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software
Size: Seven employees
Funding: $170,000 in angel investment
Funders: friends
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
