Today, an international panel on the gaming industry - “G-HUB: The Rise of Gaming Technology Development and Opportunities for Cooperation in the OIC Countries” was held as part of the “OIC Creative Week 2025”.
The event was attended by gaming industry leaders, ecosystem representatives and creative industry experts from the OIC countries.
The main objective of the panel was to assess the rapidly growing potential of the gaming sector in the OIC space, expand cooperation opportunities between regional markets and strengthen the position of game production at the global level.
Speaking at the official part of the panel, the Director General of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), Rasul Omarov, highly appreciated the role of the festival for regional cultural cooperation:
“I express my deep gratitude to the Ministry of Culture and all partners for hosting the OIC Cultural Festival - “Baku Creative Week 2025” and for creating a strong environment for cooperation in the cultural and creative field. This festival has become a leading platform that brings together cinema, fashion, animation, music, e-sports and game technologies. These programs provide young people with important opportunities to create responsible digital content and develop competitive solutions.”
The presentation of the “GHUB” panel, which constitutes the first direction of the “GameTech” program, was also held within the framework of the panel. This direction aims to expand cooperation in the field of game development among OIC member states. During the discussions, invited experts from four different countries spoke and provided information on the current state of the gaming ecosystem in their countries, stages of development, public and private sector initiatives, as well as educational programs and future plans of the industry. Panelists also exchanged views on topics such as potential joint projects, regional cluster models, exchange of experience and opportunities for gaming companies to access international markets. Discussions in this direction serve both knowledge exchange and the formation of new foundations for future cooperation.
Taleh Karimli, Head of the Innovation Ecosystem Department of IRIA, highlighted the steps taken in recent years in the development of the gaming ecosystem in Azerbaijan:
“New studios and developers are entering the global market with competitive games. Azerbaijan is also an active part of this dynamic. The Innovation and Digital Development Agency has implemented incubation programs together with Gamecoms and Xsolla, supporting young teams in developing prototypes and improving their games. Currently, work is underway to establish a publishing company focused exclusively on the gaming industry, establish the country's first game fund, and establish a special gaming center.”
The panel also discussed opportunities for cooperation between game companies and investors, joint production models, exchange of knowledge resources, current problems and successful practices in the game development ecosystem, and new teaching approaches to programming and game design. The speakers also expressed their views on game companies' strategies for entering international markets, investment trends, and the integration of cultural values of Islamic countries into game concepts.
The panel created conditions for the formation of new partnerships between the participating countries, expanding prospects for the development of the game industry, and strengthening the ties between regional game ecosystems.
