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Abu Dhabi becomes new home for esports-turned digital entertainment titan

In a landmark $40 million deal, NIP Group’s Abu Dhabi base is a major boost to the emirate’s rapidly growing games industry.

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Before it acronymized, NIP Group was Ninjas in Pyjamas – arguably best known for its unmatched 87-win streak on the videogame Counter-Strike – and ESV5, a Chinese esports giant with expertise in media and entertainment. Following an industry-redefining merger, it has become "one of the most legendary brands in the esports world," says Hicham Chahine, CEO of NIP Group.

Originally five friends from Stockholm, the team avoided financial collapse when Chahine invested in the business during what was meant to be a six-month sabbatical from his entrepreneurial ventures.

Nine years into that sabbatical, Chahine has evolved Ninjas in Pyjamas into a diversified digital entertainment company spanning content creation, game publishing, and events management – with two esports stadiums in China, even branching out into concerts and festivals.

NIP Group will achieve over $100 million in revenue in 2025

Now, recognized as NIP Group, the team have marked a new milestone. In search of a base to coordinate its globe-scattered outposts, the company has established itself in Abu Dhabi and is set to surpass $100 million in revenue from its new HQ.

Globally central HQ

Abu Dhabi’s globally central position makes it ideal for navigating time zones strewn across China, Europe, and the US. It also offers a fantastic quality of life. "Look out the window," says Chahine, "it’s like you’re living in paradise."

But there were also personal motivations for choosing the emirate as a base. "I’m originally Lebanese," he continues, "I wanted to move to the Middle East and make the region somewhere that was talked about in the games industry."

AD Gaming, backed by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism and tasked with building the emirate's gaming industry, made a compelling case that Abu Dhabi was the place to do it. "NIP Group’s decision to centralize its operations here in Abu Dhabi [is one of the] many ways in which the emirate is developing a sustainable strategy for the future of the games industry," says Saeed Ali Al Fazari, Strategic Affairs Executive Director at the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi

In the four years since its inception, AD Gaming has grown the emirate’s gaming sector to include "over 120 companies that either create gaming content, do esports, or operate in the tertiary field around gaming," says Sultan Al Riyami, Section Head of AD Gaming.

Big hitters like Ubisoft and MY.GAMES are now based in the Yas Creative Hub – a purpose-built hub for the creative industries, providing everything from office space to studios, suites, and ample opportunities for cross-collaboration.

"We want to bring people in our ecosystem together," says Al Riyami, "you might have someone working on this VR game that needs sci-fi elements, and someone else who’s already done entire world building for sci-fi games."
"The other guys always tell us it’s like you’re building a global champion, based in Abu Dhabi."
Sultan Al Riyami,
Section Head of AD Gaming

Seeding the ecosystem

Contributing to that ecosystem was part of the draw for Chahine.

Fully operational, NIP Group’s HQ is expected to employ around 300 people, "which will significantly develop the talent base," says Chahine. Initially, staff will come from overseas, but he is already considering how the company can help develop local skills.

This pipeline aligns with AD Gaming’s approach of seeding Abu Dhabi’s gaming ecosystem with international expertise, while nurturing homegrown talent for the future. "We are fostering an environment that not only enables career growth but also connects these aspiring talents to the companies that might look to hire them, as they too continue to expand within our ecosystem," says Saeed Ali Al Fazari.

Initially, that means attracting international companies like NIP Group and providing support through AD Gaming and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO). But it also means creating an environment where living and setting up in the emirate is easy.

AD Gaming acts as a "one-stop-shop for everything you need locally," says Al Riyami, including "finding an apartment, getting a car, getting help around the home."

These international seeds are then harnessed to upskill the local talent pool. Abu Dhabi is home to a Unity Center of Excellence, where the game-engine developer trains both students and professors in gaming skills. Further cementing the emirate's position as a talent incubator is a landmark deal between Abu Dhabi University and the video game, animation, and design school, Rubika. Supported by AD Gaming, the deal will see the launch of the region’s first dual-certified Bachelor of Arts Degree in Game Design, through which world-class academics and industry will come together to help aspiring game designers realize their ambitions.

AD Gaming also hosts knowledge sharing events with Fortnite-publisher Epic Games and works with local branches of SAE Institute and NYU to deliver games-focused training.

Global champion

Al Riyami’s ultimate ambition is to "get a global hit built right here in Abu Dhabi, by local talent." NIP Group may yet deliver that hit.

The company will continue to cater to large markets like China and the US, says Chahine. But they’ll do it out of the emirate, where they can build talent.

"The other guys always tell us it’s like you’re building a global champion, based in Abu Dhabi."

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