JEDDAH – A Saudi mobile app is nominated in the mobile content slot for the World Summit Award (WSA). The application “iBaloot” is a reincarnation of the famous Saudi card game “Baloot” created by Ibtikar Co. Currently, it is the most downloaded game in the Middle East. The application is handpicked for the first round of WSA's mobile entertainment category. The popular game is a unique part of the Saudi culture, which people of all ages enjoy playing. “The game now has a mobile version because the old game still hasn't lost its charm, as it enables you to play with anyone, anywhere, any time,” said a fan of the game. CEO Eisa Atawi, who is one of the founders of Ibtikar and one of the creators of iBaloot, said that while talking to a friend about which would be the best game to convert into an app, the idea of “Baloot” struck his mind and Voila! it was there on everyones' mobiles. Atawi and his team have added different features to the game, taking it to a different level: It enables players to play alone or in a group with friends along with having the freedom to choose the dialect of the commentary, the color of the cards, the interiors of the room, among others. iBaloot, which was launched in 2011, has updated the game six times to keep up-to-date with the ever-changing mobile features like Android and IOS. It has now added a chatting option and improved the speed, among other fundamental changes. The WSA, held every two years, chooses only 400 out of 20,000 internationally renowned applications in the first round by IT experts from all over the world. It is further evaluated after which, only 40 from 400 go ahead to compete for the award. “It is not a product's commercial success that matters most for the jury,” said Peter A. Bruck, chairman of the WSA board. According to Bruck, the grand jury will judge the value of the content, the design of the product, and other technicalities. Furthermore, each nominee's contribution to bridging the digital divide will play a central role for the jury. “WSA mobile's goal is to find out what works in different markets and in different parts of the world and what really makes a difference for people in remote villages and global megacities. We want to show the decision makers what can be done to foster a mobile's potential and create a true information society,” Bruck explained. The application market in Saudi is fairly new, yet it has a promising future. “Every country needs to contribute locally to its market because needs vary from one country to the other, and relying on foreign application won't be of great help all the time,” Atawi said. Atawi further said that the Saudi application stores are in need of indigenous applications. There are huge prospects for people to enter this field and innovate apps. Recently, investors have been giving it a though too,” said Atawi.
