Zoud GameLab: UAE’s Wild Bet on Gamers Solving Money Woes
The UAE is betting on video game developers to fix its financial literacy problem. Zoud, the UAE’s National Financial Wellbeing & Sustainability Initiative, has teamed up with Global Game Jam (GGJ) on a bold new challenge.
The result is Zoud GameLab, a worldwide game jam built around money skills. The jam offers a shared prize pool of up to $140,000, and it kicks off this fall.
Zoud GameLab: A Global Game Jam With a Financial Literacy Mission
Zoud GameLab runs virtually from October 15 to November 15, 2026. Developers, designers, artists and writers from anywhere in the world can join.
Teams get a full month to brainstorm, build and submit their games. No prior experience with financial education is required to compete.
A pre-jam learning program launches September 15 with webinars and expert-led sessions. Participants also get a dedicated guide to building a financial literacy game.
“At Zoud, we are always looking for new and creative ways to make financial wellbeing more accessible and engaging,” said Natalia El Menhall, program director at Zoud. She added that Zoud hopes to see strong turnout from developers across the UAE and the region.
Global Game Jam’s executive director, Maria Burns Ortiz, called the partnership a natural fit. “Game jams are the perfect vehicle to engage developers in tackling complex, real-world topics in creative ways,” Ortiz said.
How Developers Can Win a Share of the $140,000 Prize Pool
Judges will grade entries on how well they weave financial literacy into gameplay. Polish alone won’t be enough to win.
Top contenders face one more twist: they must submit a project budget. It’s a clever test of the very skills the jam is meant to teach.
Prizes go beyond first, second and third place. Zoud GameLab will also honor games with strong regional flavor, standout gameplay or real educational value.
Registration is open now at zoud.ae/gamelab, with the full site launching September 1. Winners will be announced in mid-December.
