Gaza Sky Geeks

Country: Palestine

Founded: 2011

Team Size: 11-50

Type: Technology Hub, Education, Ecosystem Development

Status: Active

Overview

Gaza Sky Geeks (GSG) is a Palestinian technology hub founded in 2011 by Mercy Corps with initial support from Google. It operates across Gaza and the West Bank, providing technology training, mentorship, career pathways and connections to international opportunities.

The organisation's work spans software development, freelancing, entrepreneurship and technology education, with its game development programme becoming a dedicated pathway in 2024.

The programme combines technical training, hands-on projects, Game Jams, mentorship, industry exposure and professional opportunities. GSG's first technical Game Development cohort ran from September 2024 to May 2025, graduating 59 participants, while a second cohort launched in April 2026.

The game development pathway is designed to move participants beyond training and towards production, portfolios and professional opportunities. Its curriculum covers programming with Unity and C#, alongside 2D and 3D art, UI/UX, animation and level design, using tools including Unity, Blender, Figma, Aseprite and FMOD.

GSG is also exploring a small production pathway that could connect graduates with co-development, service work and eventually original Palestinian IP.

Games & Game Development

Game Development Training
Game Jams
Game Development mentorship
Professional Game Development internships
Production and portfolio development

Key People

Alan El Kadhi - GSG Program Director
Rand Safi - GSG Program Senior Manager
Hazem Kiwan - Individuals Program Manager
Israa Hamoudeh - Companies Program Manager
Leyan Zahdeh - Programme Tech Unit Officer

Intelligence

Gaza Sky Geeks has built its Game Development pathway around moving Palestinian talent from technical training into practical game development, industry exposure and professional opportunities.

The programme launched in 2024, with the first technical cohort graduating 59 participants between September 2024 and May 2025. A second cohort launched in April 2026, while GSG has also expanded its focus on connecting graduates with professional opportunities.

Programme Model

The Game Development pathway combines technical training, hands-on projects, Game Jams, mentorship, industry exposure, portfolio development and professional opportunities.
The first technical training ran from September 2024 to May 2025 and graduated 59 participants.
A second Game Development cohort launched in April 2026.
The programme has grown from 150 participants in the previous cycle to more than 1,000 registrations, with around 600 learners currently in training across Palestine.
The long-term model is designed as a pipeline from fundamentals and prototypes through team collaboration, portfolios, mentorship and public showcases, followed by potential employment, freelance work, internships or studio incubation.

Training & Tools

Programming students work with Unity and C#, including version control and debugging.
The art and design track covers 2D and 3D asset creation, UI/UX, animation and level design.
Both tracks use Unity, Blender, Figma, Aseprite and FMOD.
The programme focuses on prototyping, iteration, playtesting, feedback, failure, polishing and public presentation rather than teaching software tools in isolation.

Operating Under Constraints

Training in Gaza has had to account for unstable electricity, weak internet, damaged or unavailable laptops, displacement and a lack of quiet working environments.
GSG has adapted the programme around smaller projects, lighter workflows, recorded sessions, written instructions, smaller milestones and flexible deadlines.
Teams are capped at three students, with defined roles, regular backups and careful file handling designed to reduce technical disruption.

Industry Pathways

GSG is actively seeking studios and publishers that can help align its training with professional standards and create pathways into paid work.
Six Game Development trainees completed a six-month professional internship with PSG in 2026, with all six offered the opportunity to continue working with the company part-time.
Several graduates have also secured freelance assignments, internships and work across areas including educational and psychological games, mobile games and art outsourcing. GSG is still formalising its system for tracking graduate employment outcomes.

Production Pathway

GSG is exploring a small production studio or production nucleus for the next stage of its programme.
The proposed model would initially combine co-development and service work, Unity prototyping, educational games and QA/UI work before potentially developing original Palestinian IP.
Establishing the model would require senior leadership, funding, a legal structure and industry partners willing to provide real client work.
The intended measure of success is not studio size but the ability to identify talent, provide structured production experience, deliver real work and produce finished projects with a distinct Palestinian creative voice.

Mentorship

GSG onboarded 26 volunteer mentors in 2026 to help bridge the distance between student prototypes and professional studio expectations.
Mentors provide build reviews, scope feedback, portfolio support and interview preparation.
The organisation says hands-on experience in programming, art, design, production or publishing is particularly valuable, with both live and recorded mentorship used depending on location.

AI & Future Development

AI is already being used within the programme for C# debugging, Arabic-English translation, placeholder art and dialogue, and early prototyping.
GSG's approach is focused on critical use, with students expected to understand and verify AI-generated work rather than use it passively.
By January 2027, the programme's targets include graduates leaving with playable portfolios, showcase-level prototypes, and first internships, freelance assignments or junior industry opportunities.
The longer-term ambition is to establish Palestine as an emerging game development hub built around skilled small teams, remote collaboration, cultural storytelling, educational and serious games, co-development services and original IP.