Amman: Jordan Gaming Lab, an initiative of the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD), hosted the local edition of the "Games (Zanga) Jam 2026" challenge. Eighty young men and women engaged in developing e-games over an intensive period across four of the lab's branches in Amman, Zarqa, Aqaba, and Irbid.
According to Jordan News Agency, the 3-day event coincided with the Arabic version of "Games Jam," a non-profit Arab game development initiative. The challenge gives participants 72 hours to design and develop a complete game based on a unified theme announced at the start of the competition. This year's 14th edition focused on the theme of "Dreams," with participants working in teams to transform their ideas into games that combined programming, design, illustration, sound, and storytelling.
The completed projects were uploaded to the "itch.io" platform for assessment and competition with game developers from across the Arab world. KAFD Director General, Dr. Samer Mifleh, stated that these events are part of the Jordan Gaming Lab's efforts to support the gaming sector in Jordan and build youth capacities in game design, programming, and production. Additionally, the events aim to connect Jordanian developers with entities and companies operating in the industry.
Dr. Mifleh noted that the fund is pushing its plan to develop the Lab and expand its scope to include emerging technologies and the e-games industry. This effort aligns with the outcomes of the Economic Modernization Vision within the creative industries axis, which seeks to empower young people and develop their creative and technical capabilities in sectors considered promising.
During the competition, a total of 80 participants, including 64 males and 16 females, successfully completed and delivered 24 finished e-games during the challenge period. The total attendance during the event reached 169. The participating games are subject to evaluation via the official page on the platform, where participants assess each other's games. Results will be announced after the evaluation period ends.
The competition, held at the Arab world level, is not limited to Jordanian participants. The fund has begun implementing a plan to develop the Jordan Games Lab into a specialized facility for emerging technologies and the e-games industry. This development will expand its scope of work to include artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, and digital production technologies. This initiative aims to prepare Jordanian youth to meet the requirements of the labor market and future job opportunities.