The head of the electronic gaming industry in Jordan, Nour Khreis told "AmmanNet" that Jordan aims to compete globally in the manufacture of electronic games in order to become the gateway for the Arab world, especially since investment in this sector reached $80 billion worldwide.

In order to compete globally, a laboratory for interactive gaming was established by the association of game makers under the umbrella of King Abdullah II's fund for development. To meet the needs of designers and developers of the gaming industry, talented students collaborated in order to provide the latest techniques and enhance development.

Khreis said, "It is not necessary for a person to have programming and design skills, be the owner of an idea, or even the developer. The purpose is to refine and develop the skills of the experts in the field and use supportive local businesses to further progress."

Regarding the conditions for participation and registration for membership in the laboratory Khreis said, "The lab is open to everyone, regardless of whether you are a student in school, university, or a programmer. The only condition is that you are passionate about gaming and love the industry." He has been working with schools and universities in order to select students, especially those with skills and hidden abilities. In regards to the age groups, "the range from 16 and under is not a specific group, however 16 year olds are allowed with the consent of their parents."

There have been 55 membership cards issued for work in the laboratory which begins at 9 am and goes until 9 pm every day except Friday.

Khreis commented on the nature of the games that will be manufactured and how they will be free of violence, "the games will be educational and entertaining, conveying the messages that are important to the community. Games based on the military won't be free of guns, but they won't be violent nor will they be contrary to religion or culture."

The laboratory gives students of governmental schools the opportunity to participate in the gaming industry and according to Khreis, "The idea of the laboratory is that it gives a large segment of students, particularly ones from government schools, the chance to develop their own capabilities. The barrier between having creative ideas and introducing them in the gaming industry is due to the inability of students to purchase a computer or have a qualified teacher to instruct them."

The provinces will also take advantage of the services the laboratory will provide by setting up the first camp in Irbid and the second in Petra in July. These provinces were chosen in order to create infrastructure and attract tourists.

Khreis said, "The Irbid camp attracted 220 male and female students from government and private schools from different governorates around the Kingdom, including participants from Palestine and Syria. Thirty-five percent of the participants were female and 183 of them graduates, making each group include from 1 to 5 graduates in a total of 35 projects over a span of three days. Companies invested in 10 of the projects  at the commercial level.

The laboratory was expanded to include 22 common rooms for research and development, equipped with the latest books and publications. There are studies and educational areas designated for testing the games that have been processed and ready for release. The laboratory also includes a room to store programs and information that has been linked to cloud computing for special game servers.

With regard to the aspect of training for marketing the products, Khreis explains, "the purpose is to assist students in all aspects: development, programming, design, and marketing. This enables participants to set up their own company with assistance from others to develop pilot projects in the sectors of information technology and communications (Oasis 500)."