MENA-3 Gaming Market Reach to $2 Billion in 2023

According to the latest report from Niko partner, the MENA 3 region –  Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt gaming market reached nearly $2 billion in 2023.

With over 7% of the year-over-year growth rate, it is projected to hit $2.65 billion by 2027.

Key Highlights of the Report

• Saudi Arabia accounted for over half of regional revenue, followed by UAE and Egypt.
• Growth is driven by investments, high disposable income, and a young population.
• 68.4 million gamers in 2023, up 2.9% from the previous year. Expected to reach 79.6 million by 2027.
• 71.5% of gamers participate in esports, boosted by government support.
• 87.2% of gamers use smartphones, playing 8.7 hours per week on average.
• Opportunity for global success by localizing for 420 million Arabic speakers worldwide.

What’s Fueling MENA’s Gaming Boom?

Saudi Arabia is one of the leading gaming hubs in the world leading in the MENA3 region with more than half of the region’s revenue.

As we know Saudi Government is taking a keen interest in the gaming industry and investing big bucks in the esports sector.

They also going to host the Annual Esports World Cup this year which will further solidify their position in MENA.

Another big player in the region the United Arab Emirates accounts for nearly 32% of gaming revenue followed by 10.5%.

UAE ties up many gaming and esports industries to host major events for DOTA 2 and League of Legends in MENA.

Though Egypt lags behind in gaming revenue it has a large population which accounts for over half of the MENA region.

The region counted 68.4 million gamers in 2023, where over half of the players were from Egypt, followed by Saudi Arabia (30.4%) and the United Arab Emirates(11.1%).

With a growth rate of approximately 3% year-on-year, this number is expected to reach 79.6 million in 2027.

In conclusion, the MENA region shows tremendous promise as an emerging gaming hub, with strong growth fundamentals and government support.