Ubisoft Opens Studio in Abu Dhabi

Ubisoft has had a productive year. With brands like Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, Just Dance, and Rayman under its belt, and the wonderful surprise that was the Watch Dogs reveal at this year's E3, the company is going from strength to strength. And as part of its further expansion, and “global goal to strive for excellence”, Ubisoft has opened another new studio, this one in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

A job at the studio is being advertised on Gamasutra. While the Abu Dhabi studio already has 25 employees, Ubisoft hopes to have 100 employees there within the next few years, and it's currently looking for an art director. If you happen to live in the United Arab Emirates and fancy a chance, you'll have to be capable of being someone who “defines the artistic vision and the graphic style and ensures it follows the Creative Direction”, “is a mentor for the artists and coaches them”, and “nourishes the artistic vision by looking for sources of inspiration out of the video game industry”.

Ubisoft's goals for the Abu Dhabi studio are heavily focused on online play, with its main missions stated as:

– To create online products for everyone; our games have to be accessible at anytime, anywhere in the world and in any playable device.
– To operate Ubisoft online games in the region, to gain substantial market share and leadership in the online MENA landscape.

Given the historical tendency for video games to be produced in Japan, the States, and the United Kingdom almost exclusively, it's a good sign when companies like Ubisoft choose to extend their reach to countries like the UAE.