The MENA region has earned a reputation as a booming area for both mobile game marketing and development, as well as immense popularity among gamers in the region. While the boom is underway, with gaming revenue in 2021 reaching $1.76 billion, immense opportunities still exist: this figure is expected exceed $5 billion by 2025as we reportedrecently.
A number of countries make up the diverse region, and you will find Features here on PocketGamer.biz all month highlighting challenges and opportunities in individual territories, starting with Saudi Arabia. But it’s worth considering some statistics on the overall market.
2021 has truly been a banner year for games in the MENA region, with downloads reaching 4.9 billion, nine times the world growth rate. In addition, consumer spending exceeded $1.6 billion, three times faster than in the rest of the world. In 2021, there were 65.3 million gamers in the MENA region, a number that is expected rise to 85.7 million in 2025.
The MENA region is a region without a firm or agreed definition. But for the purposes of our feature articles and our next List of top 30 companies, we are considering many countries, including but not limited to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE/Dubai, Bahrain, Iran and Lebanon, as well as Egypt and the countries of North Africa to Morocco. (Markets like Israel and Turkey are, of course, interesting, although they are places with gambling sectors already largely covered and which remain distinct from other neighboring territories.)
The big story of the MENA game is told by demographics. The total population of the region is about 400 millionand almost half are under 25. Having grown up as digital natives, this younger generation eagerly embraces novelties in apps and games, especially through their mobile devices. In 2021, app downloads were 53% more than in 2019consumer spending on apps more than doubling over this period.
Make sure your game is not just translated but truly culturally localized. The player must feel that it was created by native speakers
Ali Alharbi, UMX Studios
Although some countries in the MENA region speak French and English is also common, Arabic is the dominant language. When we spoke to the CEO of publisher Tamatem, Hussam Hammo, in 2019he reminded us that “Arabic is the fourth most spoken language in the world, yet less than one percent of all content available online is in Arabic… More than 70 percent of the country’s population Arabic speakers – around 400 million – use Arabic as the default language on their smartphones Add to that countries like Saudi Arabia have the highest ARPPU in the world, and you have a perfect opportunity.
Case studies: climbing a sand dune
The MENA region has a well-deserved reputation as a hub for game development, and also as a market for games, capable of delivering astonishing results for games that attract users. In 2014 Ali Alharbi was still an independent developer, but that year he released Climbing Sand Dune. In 12 hours, it was the most requested title on the Apple and Android app stores.
Sand dune climbing remains a popular title today, and Alharbi has retained his independence, serving as CEO of UMX Studios, a Riyadh-based games company with an additional office in India. “In 2022, we will reach over 1 billion impressions and 55 million downloads on Apple and Google for our two racing games,” Alharbi proudly states.
Alharbi has two tips for those looking to enter the MENA gaming market: “First, integrate multiplayer and social features into your games. It’s an important part of success here. Second, if you release an Arabic version of an already existing game, make sure your game is not only translated but truly culturally localized. The player should feel that the game was created by native speakers.
The market opens to NFTs. Established names set up gaming tournaments to win and push next-gen web development
Looking ahead, Alharbi is optimistic about the prospects for the gaming industry in the MENA region. “Investment in the region is growing at a blistering pace, and gambling is accepted and supported by governments here,” says Alharbi. “I believe those who join this story now will soar to the stars with their success.”
New markets for young people
The under 25 group contributes to the huge popularity of esports in the MENA region. The market is attracting big international players: earlier this year, Riot Games, Tencent, Intel and Ubisoft jointly announced that this year’s expanded Intel Arabian Cup – their third esports tournament collaboration in the Middle East – will offer a prize pool of $130,000. Newzoo forecasts a compound annual growth rate for esports of 15.1% through 2024, compared to 10% globally (courtesy Wired).
The MENA gaming market is also opening up to the world of NFTs and cryptocurrency. Established names in gaming, such as Crypto Gaming United and Vorto Gaming, are setting up play-to-earn tournaments and using their presence in the region to push next-gen blockchain, NFT, DeFi, DAO, fintech, crypto mining, and web development.
New topics such as web3 and blockchain join established topics such as esports, advertising and growth strategies on Pocket Gamer connects Jordan to Amman next month. Tickets are still available. And we encourage CEOs, directors and decision makers to meet at Leaders Summit in Riyadh at the end of November to share ideas on international opportunities.
