About Unreal Bahrain

Unreal Bahrain is a community-based group of volunteers that supports innovators and entertainment entrepreneurs in Bahrain and the region mainly in the field of game development. Since our formation in Early 2017 by Yousef BuHazza.
The community aims to aims to establish an environment that supports local and regional game developers. We recognize that game development is a collaborative effort that combines several disciplines, so to us, game developers are people with different skills that would like to use those skills to develop a game.
Initially the community was focused on developing digital games using Epic Games Unreal Engine, but has shifted to support all forms of game development regardless of the platform and included physical games such as table top games.

Vision

Establish a game development Industry in Bahrain.

Mission

To support and enable local and regional game developers to establish their games and studios.

Our Policy

Community Building

Falling into the chicken and egg dilemma, should game developers exist first, or should game development studios exist first. Both are essential, and both create their own market demand, therefore we believe that in order to a game development industry to exist here in Bahrain game development communities would be the catalyst and the foundation for its establishment.

Zero-Stake Policy

Unreal Bahrain follows a zero-stake policy of its members; members can develop their own projects and benefit from the community without any financial or non-financial obligation.

Enablement Sponsorship policy

Support for the community comes from enablement sponsorships, where event venues, workspace, travel and accommodation, hardware and software, training, and event space is preferred over financial support. Financial sponsorship is directed towards establishing a pot that provides grants for game developers in the initial phase of the project.

Deep Rooting

“Deep Rooting is a theory that stimulates entrepreneurial growth by encouraging entrepreneurs to fully understand and develop their concept into a tangible product before moving towards the seeding phase of their venture” – Yousef BuHazza
The name and concept were inspired by observing the local Palm Tree Farmers, where crops tree crops were carefully depraved of water in order to encourage the roots of the trees to spread and reach deep deposits of water. This results in trees that are self-sustainable and strong enough to withstand harsh seasons.

Pearling Concept

Bahrain was famous for the Pearls have long been part of the heritage and economic ecosystem in Bahrain, until the 1920’s they were the major and most important export.
The community aims to support local and regional game developers and game development studios till they mature into champions “Pearls” and become self-sustainable businesses and contribute to the economy.

Coaching and Mentorship Policy

As the community get bigger it becomes difficult to manage, there are different skills, and different people with information. New comers are paired with people who are slightly more knowledgeable than them, so they can understand the basics, and with time they get paired with professionals so they can expand their knowledge and skills.

Campfire policy

We encourage communication with other communities and societies in Bahrain and the region to form partnerships, raise awareness and support of the objectives of our and related communities.