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Dubai-Based Angel Investor Fuels Growth For GameCentric
The platform aims to triple its user base across the MENA region, a market projected to reach 88 million gamers by 2026.
GameCentric, a leading gaming platform in the MENA region, has secured a substantial USD 1.5 million (AED 6 million) investment from a Dubai-based Angel Investor, Bilal Merchant. The platform went live on December 1st, 2023, immediately following the funding round.
The infusion of capital strategically positions GameCentric to expand its platform and features beyond the GCC & MENA region, promising to redefine the gaming landscape for players worldwide.
Saad Khan, CEO of GameCentric, emphasized, “Crafting a robust vision for our platform, supported by a sound business model and a seasoned management team, resonated with the angel investor, like Bilal Merchant, who recognized the immense potential within GameCentric, which drove his decision to invest. Our aspiration is not just to be a gaming platform but a cultural phenomenon transcending borders. Collaboration with industry leaders, community-driven programs and an unwavering commitment to having the best user experience drives our future initiatives”.
GameCentric plans to integrate cutting-edge technologies to stay competitive and offer compelling propositions for brands and game publishers. By 2025, the company aims to become a web3 native platform, introducing digital assets such as cryptocurrencies.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Video Games Set In The Middle East
Supporting its ambitious expansion plans, GameCentric has gathered support from industry heavyweights, including LIV, the UAE’s first digital bank powered by Emirates NBD, and Saudi eSports organization POWReSports.
The platform is now poised for aggressive growth and market expansion over the next two years. The company aims to triple its user base across the MENA region and double its array of game titles, catering to both web2 and web3 genres. This initiative not only enhances the gaming experience but also offers innovative customer engagement opportunities for brands.
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LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE
Sellers keep 100 percent of every sale and AI can build a listing in five seconds — though the app’s smartest tools are still coming.
Secondhand shopping has become mainstream in the UAE, but the experience is still scattered across resale sites, social media and informal group chats. LUVED, a mobile-first marketplace that launched in Dubai this month, is betting it can pull that activity into one place — and that the thing buyers and sellers actually want is not more inventory, but trust.
The app trades in what it calls circular luxury: preloved fashion and lifestyle pieces across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, bought, sold or given away peer to peer. Its main pitch is economics, with sellers keeping 100 percent of every sale under a zero-commission, fast payout model, while buyers are promised vetted pieces at lower prices.
Where LUVED is staking its reputation is verification. Sellers pass a KYC check, and items run through a two-layer authentication system powered by Entrupy that pairs instant AI screening with human expert review for high-value pieces. Authenticity certificates travel with each item, payments sit in escrow, and a buyer-protection package the company calls The Safety Net adds a 48-hour return window and dispute resolution. Door-to-door logistics removes the in-person meetups that make most resale deals awkward.
An in-app assistant called Luvbot — offering selling insights and demand-based recommendations — is soon to be introduced to the platform. Other features include autofill and dynamic pricing that lets users build a listing in as little as five seconds from three photos, plus a swipe-based feed, story-style drops and in-app chat in English and Arabic. Finally, a gifting layer, Luved & Gifted, lets users pass items to others inside the app rather than sell them.
Also Read: Logitech’s New Folding Mouse Is Designed For Work On The Go
“After moving to Dubai, I saw how difficult it was to sell or even give things away,” says founder and CEO Shaima Sibtain. The friction is real, and so is the competition. In resale, trust is won transaction by transaction — and that is the test LUVED has set itself.
The app is live on the App Store now, with Google Play to follow. The company also plans to expand across the region, which will be the real test for a marketplace staking everything on trust.
