A recent report by Niko Partners, the MENA-3 Games Market Report, has revealed gaming results in the MENA region for 2022. It also makes predictions as to what can be expected in the region up to 2026.
Mobile is supporting growth
There has been a fast emergence in MENA countries in regards to video games, with growth having persisted despite the general decline seen elsewhere in 2022. At the tail end of last year, the $6.8 billion MENA market’s potential was demonstrated at the Leaders Summit, where representatives included Tencent, Tamatem, Superfine and others.
Niko Partners’ report gives an overview of the Arabic-speaking markets with a focus on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. It looks at individual gaming segments and includes data on publishers, games rankings, trends and drivers of growth. A range of topics such as esports, regulations, financial transactions and product distribution are also featured.
With 2022 having drawn to a close, the estimated revenue for the year was $1.8 billion regarding MENA-3 games. Niko Partners’ forecast for 2026, meanwhile, is that games revenue will reach $2.8 billion, a rise of 56 percent. This would also represent a 5-year CAGR of almost 10 percent.
The total number of gamers in 2022 have been estimated at approximately 67.4 million in the region, with a rise to 87.3 million expected in 2026. As for the analysis of gamers’ behaviour, a survey was carried out across the three aforementioned countries with 1,126 participants.
The reported demand and usage of gaming spans console, PC, and of course, mobile.
Egypt represents the fastest-growing market in the region with the largest gaming population, whereas Saudi Arabia contributes the most revenue. Mobile gaming specifically is expected to drive growth together with public and private sector investing. Esports are also thought to be a likely contributor.
The full report includes a comprehensive market model.
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund Public Investment Fund raised its stake in Nintendo to 6 percent in January, and further increased this to 7.08 percent in February.