Faisal Zaidi

Faisal Zaidi is a seasoned technology and digital operations leader with more than 17 years of global experience spanning consumer technology, digital ecosystem development, and large-scale platform growth. He currently serves as President of Exscape, a UAE-based interactive entertainment platform scaling rapidly across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

In his role at Exscape, Faisal leads the company’s global expansion strategy, overseeing the integration of distribution partnerships, product engagement frameworks and market rollout execution. He is responsible for guiding Exscape’s evolution from early product traction to a sustainable, subscription-based interactive platform that prioritises active engagement, cultural relevance and scalable infrastructure.

Before joining Exscape, Faisal built his career at the intersection of digital transformation and business growth, with operations and leadership roles that bridged marketing, communications and technology enablement. His professional background spans both business-to-business and consumer sectors, where he was consistently focused on developing high-impact ecosystems that drive user adoption and organisational scale.

Faisal is known for his strategic emphasis on distribution-first growth, telco integration as infrastructure, and data-driven engagement models - positioning Exscape to outperform traditional mobile entertainment benchmarks in conversion, retention and active participation. Under his leadership, Exscape has advanced from initial market launches to tens of millions of active usage hours and hundreds of thousands of paying subscribers, expanding its presence into key GCC and emerging markets.

A frequent contributor to industry discussions on digital ecosystems, platform economics and mobile engagement, Faisal is recognised for bridging visionary strategy with disciplined execution in dynamic, cross-market environments.

Zain Al Qudah

Zain AlQudah joined DMCC in 2026 as Manager of the DMCC Gaming Centre, where he leads partnerships, ecosystem development, and industry programming. In his role, he works closely with regional and international stakeholders across the gaming value chain to build strategic collaborations, deliver high-impact initiatives, and support DMCC’s ambition to position Dubai as a leading destination for gaming companies, talent and industry innovation.

With a background in game development, immersive technologies, and strategic programme delivery, Zain brings experience across partnerships, community building, and industry engagement. He combines technical understanding with commercial and ecosystem-focused thinking to create practical, value-driven initiatives that support industry growth and strengthen DMCC’s role within the regional and global gaming landscape.

Belal Jassoma

Belal Jassoma is the Senior Director of Tech Ecosystems at DMCC, the world’s leading business district and authority on international commodities trade and enterprise.

Belal joined DMCC in 2011 and has been instrumental in scaling up DMCC’s ecosystems and commercial offering, including new products, services and member engagement programmes. In his current capacity as Director for Ecosystems, Belal is responsible for developing key strategic relationships, partnerships and product functions as well as overseeing ecosystem development across several of DMCC’s industry verticals such as crypto, gaming, AI, energy and financial services.

Belal holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the American University

Mario Rizzo

Mario Rizzo is a video game executive and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in game publishing and development across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. He has held senior roles at Sony, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, working across globally recognized franchises including FIFA, Battlefield, Star Wars, Assassin's Creed, Ghost Recon and Tom Clancy's The Division.

In 2016, Mario co-founded Artisan Studios with a vision to create highly artistic, hand-drawn, Japanese-inspired RPGs. Artisan became the first Western developer to work on the Neptunia franchise, later developing Astria Ascending alongside veteran Japanese RPG creators and securing investment from Tencent to support its original IP, Lost Hellden.

In 2022, Mario relocated to Dubai after identifying the GCC as one of the world's next major growth markets for gaming. Artisan subsequently established its MENA headquarters in Dubai, became an early ecosystem partner of the DMCC Gaming Centre, and built key parts of the Lost Hellden team in the UAE.

Today, Mario works closely with government, investors, and industry partners across the GCC as Artisan expands its regional presence. He also serves as an advisor to Exscape, supporting its work in gaming and interactive entertainment. Mario is a strong advocate for Dubai's emergence as a global game-development hub and for creating an ecosystem capable of building and exporting globally competitive games from the region.

Faisal Kazim

Faisal is the Games Commissioner at the Dubai Films and Games Commission, the regulatory authority for the film and gaming sectors in Dubai. He is also a member of the Dubai Gaming Committee, which sets the strategic direction for the sector. Faisal focuses on advancing Dubai’s gaming ecosystem and strengthening its global position. He previously led the Dubai Program for Gaming 2033, the city’s first initiative dedicated to developing the gaming sector.