A recent report by Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) titled Gaming in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Geared for Growth, highlights the MENA region’s fast-growing gaming market. Mobile gaming is leading the market due to its affordability, accessibility and market penetration. The report predicts that the MENA gaming revenue will reach almost $6 billion by 2027, which is nearly double the total earned amount in 2021. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are recognized as the market drivers of the MENA region. These countries are expected to generate a combined $3.14 billion in revenue by 2025 with a compound annual growth rate of 13.8%.
Expected Number of Gamers in the MENA Region
The MENA-3 consisting of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, are expected to experience a 31% rise in the number of gamers. The dataset shows that these countries are projected to have 85.8 million players in 2025, from just 65.3 million gamers this year. According to Niko Partners data, the percentage of revenue and the number of gamers is almost identical throughout these three countries. The leading country in the number of players is Saudi Arabia followed by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt at 61%, 30%, and 10%, respectively.
Gaming Industry Setup in the MENA Region
In 2020, the region showed constant growth with a 24% year-on-year increase in gaming playtime which is 11% higher than the global average increase. The strong revenue growth in the MENA region was 8.1% from 2019 to 2024, earning up to $4.1 billion, outpacing the global revenue growth of 6.4%. The region’s largest gaming platform is mobile gaming which represents a 58% share of the MENA market. Meanwhile, console gaming and PC gaming represent 20% and 3% of the share, respectively.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DMCC chairman and CEO, said ” Ensuring the accelerated growth of the gaming industry will have a measurable impact on the future of markets around the world, as well as the future of trade” highlighting the impact the gaming industry has on the economic activity of the region and globally.
New Developments
Saudi Arabia recently increased its stake in top game maker Electronic Arts. This shows its commitment towards building and improving its gaming hub presence in the region.