The gaming industry has seen significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, as mobile connectivity became crucial for social and economic activities. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, efforts to support and enhance the local gaming industry have increased. Due to the high demand for contemporary games, such as PS4 games, PS5 games, and PlayStation 5 games, countries in the MENA region have become attractive markets for investment. Specifically, the prices of PS4 and PS5 games in UAE have seen an increase in recent years, making it a profitable market for businesses in the gaming industry.
The UAE is a prime example of the growth in the gaming industry in the MENA region. With the increasing popularity of mobile gaming and the rise of new technologies, there will be more opportunities for businesses to invest in the gaming industry in the region. The high demand for contemporary games and the growing population of gamers in the MENA region makes it a prime market for businesses in the gaming industry to invest in. The prices of PS5 games in UAE are high but still, the demand for the latest games is high and it's a profitable market for gaming companies.
Gaming generates significant growth in the Middle East
As of January 2021, the top ten MENA nations with the highest gaming profit (millions of dollars in revenue) are listed below.
Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Qatar, and Kuwait.
Revenues from gaming have skyrocketed, but they vary greatly from market to market and country to country. With over USD 680 million, Saudi Arabia leads, followed by Iran with USD 431 million. Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria, among others, reported sales of at least USD 100 million to their respective markets.
For a lot of countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), which aren't usually thought of as technologically advanced, these figures are important to note. So, what has led to this increase in revenue?
Let’s talk about the UAE gaming industry which generates millions of dollars from selling PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch consoles and accessories in all the cities, especially Dubai city.
Dubai has a huge game collection, particularly PlayStation games. Dubai's most well-known feature is its abundance of large corporations, which enables it to produce any game, including PlayStation 4 titles: Mobile game development, game production, and production companies in the UAE.
You can make as many games as you want because publishers and developers don't have to worry about copyright or advertising, which discourages players from searching the app store for their favorite games.
Additionally, they are the best people who know how to thoroughly test your games before release so that they can be the first to download your game, so there is no doubt in their mind that they will choose your best one and download it right away.
According to gamers, the UAE has the best PlayStation 4 game prices in the Middle East. As a result, we can safely conclude that the United Arab Emirates is also well-known for its video game industry in addition to its sandy desert. The significance of gaming and how a computer game or a simple PlayStation can make a person famous in a city that is already famous.
Visit our website at www.zgames.ae to check out our gaming consoles and accessories, both available in our UAE stores and online.
Adoption of smartphones and Rising Internet Access
The market's main drivers are thought to be the popularity of mobile gaming and the growing use of smartphones.
A global survey of 3,500 people from Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates was included in a YouGov whitepaper on gaming and esports. It found that the majority of gamers in the MENA region play on their smartphones or tablets:
UAE (57%) Egypt (58%) Saudi Arabia (52%) Iraq (51%)
During a panel discussion on the Middle East's telecommunications, technology, and gaming ecosystem, several panelists discussed the changing gaming landscape and urged the public and private sectors to create an environment that encourages increased value.
- Yousef Buhazza, vice-chairman and founder of the Unreal Bahrain/Bahrain Internet Society, commented on the necessity of increasing investments in the telecoms industry. He stated that the gaming market is dominated by young people, who "will always look for better services to enjoy those games" that consume a significant amount of data and bandwidth.
- Malek Hammoud, chief investment and digital officer at Kuwaiti telecom provider Zain Group, explained that more gaming servers need to be based in the MENA region and that latency-based issues present a real challenge to overcome.
- According to Telstra Broadcast Services' head of business development for the Americas, Ricardo Rodrigues, the implementation of 5G technology will address many of these issues and enhance gamers' gaming experiences across the continent.
More businesses will want to meet the expectations of this large audience as the number of gamers in the MENA region continues to rise such as Zgames. Governments will unavoidably need to invest significantly more in improved Internet infrastructure to support this trend for their citizens.
The Middle East is getting more involved in esports
Esports' growing popularity in the Middle East is another surprising development. Despite the ongoing pandemic, we continue to observe strong demand for esports content, including professional leagues and online events.
ResearchAndMarkets.com says that the esports industry has grown as a result of several factors, including the following:
- For Call of Duty in the region, Activision has partnered with the Saudi Telecom Company to introduce dedicated servers hosted in Riyadh and Jeddah.
- In October 2020, Riot Games, the company behind League of Legends and other hugely successful video games, launched servers in the Middle East for their Valorant game.
- to organize a series of regional online esports tournaments, Zain Esports, a new esports brand launched by Zain Group, has 50 million customers across MENA.
- As part of their plans to expand esports in the Middle East, the International Esports Federation (IESF), based in South Korea, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UAE's Motivate Media Group.
Leading video streaming platforms for watching video game live streams and esports tournaments have also received significant attention and engagement in some MENA markets.
Gaming has taken on the significant role of a way to spend additional leisure time and an alternative method of virtual socialization because many people worldwide are still confined to their homes and cannot physically meet friends or participate in activities.
As more institutions begin to recognize esports as a meaningful opportunity to capture the minds and hearts of a young and engaged community, we anticipate even greater activity across the esports landscape in the upcoming quarters.
Enhance Your Services
Gaming and esports are now multimillion-dollar businesses with their leagues, sponsors, and competitors. The industry's growing presence in the digital economy cannot be ignored because of its active demographics and the influence that gaming has had on youth culture.
A Digital Service Delivery Platform, Direct Carrier Billing, and Digital Voucher Platform are necessary for businesses that want to capitalize on the growing popularity of gaming and sell their products and services to this young, digitally savvy audience.
Forest Interactive has thus established branch offices in Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco. Take advantage of this opportunity by getting in touch with us right away.
ZGames
ZGames is a leading video game retail store in UAE, offering a wide selection of games for various platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC. They have a wide range of games from different genres, from action to sports, adventure, and strategy.
They also have games for all ages, so whether you're a child, teenager, or adult you will find a game that suits you. In addition to games, they also have a variety of gaming accessories and collectibles. From controllers, headsets, and gaming chairs to figures, t-shirts, and other merchandise. They also have a wide range of gaming peripherals such as gaming keyboards, mice, and monitors. They also have a dedicated section for virtual reality games and devices, which is growing in popularity in the region.
