My Journey From the Middle East to Sweden
Hello, I am Ahmed, a Game Programmer who has recently taken a leap of faith and traveled a long distance to join Resolution Games.
Where did you move from and what was your move like?
This question is surprisingly more complex to answer than one would expect. I am from Egypt but I haven’t lived there for a while. I spent the last six years teaching game programming in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. So I moved from there to Sweden. And to answer what the move was like, well do you know the feeling when you go to take a shower and don’t notice that the water temperature is set to the coldest setting. Yep, that’s pretty much it :D. So let’s review this moment in super slow motion. You go through the initial shock from the difference. Then you freak out because you don’t really know what’s happening. Then you pause for a moment to figure things out and you remember that you can just turn the knob to adjust. And you finally get a chance to enjoy a nice bath with the perfect temperature. Metaphors aside, it was a huge change for me, especially since I have a family to take care of. But the people at Resolution Games made it super easy. Everyone here is super helpful and guided us through every step. On top of that, Stockholm is a very good city for expats and easy to adjust to.
Why did you choose to pursue a job in a different country?
Well let me start by saying that I absolutely love my country with all its positives and negatives. Yet, ever since I was a kid, I always had this strong urge to explore new things, new areas and new cultures. But that’s definitely not the only reason I moved. The game development industry in the Middle East is growing fast but still is in the early stages. I really wanted to be in the middle of the action. I wanted to watch and learn from fellow developers and artists and all of the big and growing names in the field. Game development has definitely been my passion since I was a kid and I wanted to learn more. After some research (well mostly googling), I learned that the industry is booming in Sweden. Resolution Games caught my attention for being one of the leading companies in the VR and AR games industry, so I didn’t hesitate a second to apply!
Lastly, I have heard a lot about the Swedish work culture, specifically how they value the work-life balance and pay attention to family time. That meant a big deal to me while searching for a country to settle in. Six years ago, and after working in the industry for four years, I decided to take a teaching job, because I loved the freedom of working on my own games and tools with no limitations and with no stress or pressure. So, when I had the urge to go back to the industry and production environment, I didn’t want to lose that.
Did anything surprise you about living in Stockholm?
I am fortunate to have visited a lot of big European cities and I have never met as many English speakers in a non-English speaking country as I have in Stockholm. It helped make the transition way easier. One time my phone ran out of battery when I was in Rome, and that’s all it took to lose our way and spend the whole night searching for the hotel. We were not able to ask anyone on the street for directions. Such a small thing is just a simple example of how this makes life much easier. Almost every Swede I have met speaks English very well. Another thing that surprised me, Stockholm is much warmer than what they say online. Well, at least in summer. I haven’t experienced winter yet.
What were the biggest differences between Egypt and Dubai and Stockholm?
It might be slightly easier to talk about the similarities. I moved from the other half of the world, literally, and it’s so different in many ways. We can start with the weather. The cold water metaphor I used earlier was not a coincidence. It’s just the complete opposite, and with that comes many differences. Different things to worry about when you go out, different types of clothes, different things to keep an eye on when you are searching for a home. Then there’s the cultural difference. I am a different race and color from most Swedes and belong to a different religion than most people that you meet here. I was raised with different values, habits and social norms. Little things like whether I can tell a joke to someone I just met or not is still completely ambiguous to me. This kind of difference in particular has always been a worry for me. It feels like losing all of the social training you have been going through for your entire life. Thankfully, the people in Stockholm and at Resolution Games are very accommodating and friendly. At the end of the day we are all humans, we smile when we are happy and cry when we are sad. At the most basic level, we are not really different at all.
How did Resolution Games help make your transition smooth?
The HR department was really helpful and assisted me with all of the legal steps for relocating. They also provided a very handy document that served as a guide for everything I needed to get done. Additionally, Resolution Games makes great use of Notion and Slack. That’s where you can find answers to most of your questions and where the company culture really shines, everyone is so helpful.
What advice do you have for others thinking about relocating for a job at Resolution Games?
It’s a big step for sure, so take your time to think and research it. When you decide to take the leap of faith, I believe you will be happy with what you find here and you will always find someone to answer any question you may have. Resolution Games is leading the VR & AR gaming industry and I am happy to be part of it now. Do you want to be part of it too? You can check out our open positions here.
