Top 10 games to play with friends in the UAE and the Gulf (2026)

4 November 2026 · Jakoz Gaming

Ask any group of friends in Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait or Doha what they play when they get together and you will hear the same names again and again. Some are card games learnt from fathers and uncles in the majlis, some are board games every family owns. Here are the ten games that bring friends together across the Gulf, and how to play them online when you can't sit at the same table.

1. Baloot (بلوت)

The king of Gulf card games. Four players in two teams, 32 cards, quick calls of Sun and Hokm, projects and the famous "Baloot!" shout. A match to 152 can last a whole evening. Learn the rules or play Baloot online free.

2. Jakaro (جاكارو)

Marbles, cards and a lot of noise. Jakaro is a 2 vs 2 race where every card does something different: the 7 splits, the 5 moves anyone's marble, the Jack swaps. It is huge in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, and now you can play Jakaro online with your partner on voice chat.

3. Ludo (لودو)

Everyone knows Ludo, from grandparents to kids. Roll a 6, capture your cousin's token and race home. It is quick, easy to start and perfect for mixed groups. How to play Ludo online.

4. Speed ♠ (Spades)

The Gulf's fast version of Spades: bid how many tricks you will win, follow suit and cut with spades. Partners must trust each other's bids. Speed ♠ rules.

5. Tarneeb (طرنيب)

Popular in the Levant and loved by many in the Gulf, Tarneeb is a trick-taking game close to Speed: one team bids, one suit becomes trumps. If you like Tarneeb you will feel at home with Speed and Baloot.

6. Dama (الداما)

Checkers, or Dama, is the two-player classic: jump your opponent's pieces and crown your kings. Great for a quick duel while the others finish their card game. Play Dama online.

7. Carrom (كيرم)

The flick-and-pocket board game you find in many homes and cafés. It needs a real board and fingers, so it stays an at-home favourite.

8. Dominoes (دومينو)

Simple to learn, endless to master. Dominoes is a café and family classic across the Arab world.

9. Hand (هاند)

A rummy-style card game loved in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait: build sets and runs and empty your hand first.

10. A Majlis night of talk

Sometimes the best "game" is just sitting together and talking. A Majlis voice room lets up to 8 friends hang out by voice from anywhere, and jump into a game when someone suggests one.

Which of these can you play online free?

On Jakoz you can play Baloot, Jakaro, Ludo, Speed ♠ and Dama online with friends, with voice chat, free and with no download. Open the site, pick a name, choose a game and share the link on WhatsApp.

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