Saudi Arabia Leads Middle East Gaming Market with USD 1 Billion Spending
Riyadh, KSA: A recent study conducted by Galal & Karawi Management Consulting (G&K) in collaboration with Orient Planet Group revealed that the Middle East’s video game industry has become one of the largest sectors for consumer spending on digital media, surpassing the combined value of video-on-demand streaming and digital music.
The study highlighted that total spending on video games in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt reached approximately USD 2.52 billion in 2024, compared to USD 1.16 billion on video-on-demand services and USD 306.7 million on digital music, accounting for 63.2% of total digital media expenditure across these three key markets.
Eng. Asem Galal, Co-Founder of G&K, stated that the findings demonstrate the transformation of the video games sector into a comprehensive economic ecosystem, offering opportunities in design, storytelling, creative production, digital marketing, virtual community management, and intellectual property governance. He added:
“One of the most common misconceptions is that the video games industry can only be seen through the lens of software development. The data clearly shows it is a fully integrated, multidisciplinary ecosystem requiring creative, artistic, marketing, and legal expertise.”
Dr. Nidal Abou Zaki, Managing Director of Orient Planet Group, emphasized that the statistics reflect a strategic shift in the region’s digital economy, noting that video games have become a key media and economic platform, attracting investments and reshaping brand engagement with youth consumers. He added:
“This industry enables Arab youth to compete globally from their homeland, while quality investment opportunities remain undercapitalized.”
The study further revealed that Saudi Arabia leads the region in market value, with spending reaching around USD 1 billion, accounting for 69% of total digital media expenditure. Egypt is the largest market by volume, with an 11.5% year-on-year growth and mobile games representing 76.4% of usage, while the UAE shows a mature, high-income digital market with 7.3% annual growth.
The report concluded that the video games sector is now a major driver of the digital and creative economy in the Middle East, urging integrated strategies and policies to further strengthen its role and create new investment opportunities.
