MUSCAT: Electronic gaming is emerging as a growing creative and competitive field among young people, offering opportunities that extend beyond entertainment to programming, design, content creation and game development.
Electronic sports can help develop concentration, decision-making, teamwork and quick-response skills, while gaming also encourages creativity through digital characters, environments and visual content.
Al Muhanad bin Hamdan al Wahaibi, a programmer and electronic game developer, said teamwork and competition are among the main factors attracting young people to electronic sports.
Many players begin by playing at home with friends before developing their skills and confidence and moving on to local and international tournaments.
He noted that tournaments allow players to demonstrate their abilities, interact with other players and improve through continuous competition, while prizes and incentives have also become important attractions.
Al Wahaibi said young people can pursue professional gaming or focus on content creation and live streaming. Professional gaming requires continuous training, discipline and the ability to handle competitive pressure, while content creation demands consistency and the ability to produce engaging material. Content creators can generate income through views, advertising, endorsements and sponsorships.
He added that gaming can also serve as a gateway to technical and creative careers. Players who develop an understanding of game mechanisms can move into programming, game design, 3D modelling, animation, visual effects, storytelling, user-interface design and other fields.
The gaming industry also has applications beyond entertainment, particularly through virtual reality, which is increasingly used in training, education, tourism and simulation. Such technologies can also support construction, architecture and real estate by creating interactive virtual representations of buildings, cities and future projects.
Al Wahaibi said the industry brings together several disciplines, including design, illustration, animation, programming, sound design, artificial intelligence and storytelling. This makes gaming an important platform for developing talent across technical and creative fields.
He believes the sector has the potential to become one of Oman’s creative industries and take Omani content to global audiences.
“The gaming industry is indeed capable of contributing to the export of Omani content to global markets while preserving Omani identity and presenting it in a modern style that players around the world can understand,” he said.
He noted that Oman’s gaming industry is experiencing gradual growth, with growing interest in games and digital experiences reflecting Omani culture. However, the sector still needs greater investment and support. Challenges include limited budgets, unclear project requirements and tight implementation deadlines.
He said game development involves several stages, including planning, programming, 3D modelling, testing and continuous development. Greater investment in local studios, specialised funding programmes and incubators would therefore help strengthen the sector.
Educational institutions and the private sector also have an important role to play by introducing game-development courses, providing practical training and establishing specialised studios. Attracting international gaming companies to Oman could further create employment opportunities and facilitate knowledge transfer.
On artificial intelligence, Al Wahaibi said AI is expected to accelerate game development by assisting with coding, idea generation, visual elements, 3D models and analysis of player behaviour.
However, he stressed that AI should complement rather than replace developers, allowing them to focus more on creativity, design and the player experience while preserving the game’s identity, quality and relevance to local and international audiences. - ONA
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