Hello, Eyad! We are interviewing you today to get to know the operations guru behind the massive machine that is Tamatem Games! Let’s get right into it! 

Tell us about how you ended up at Tamatem Games! Have you always worked in the mobile games industry? What led you to Tamatem?

I graduated from Princess Sumaya University for Techonology with a degree in Computer Science! That’s where I actually first met Hussam, we were college friends both completing the same degree. After graduating, I immediately jumped into the corporate world starting as a developer for a banking solution company and working there for nine years eventually becoming department head, I worked in a very rigid old-school corporate system but it was very stable and had a promising future. Life placed me on a very different path when we graduated, but we remained very close friends throughout the years. One day, on our way to Aqaba, Hussam and I were playing a game called 4pics1word on our iPads and thought how cool it would be if the game was in Arabic, for native Arabic speakers to enjoy and consume. That’s when the light bulb clicked for Hussam and he continued in his pursuit to launch a mobile gaming company that would publish Arabic mobile games. 

Shortly after, Hussam gives me a call and asks me to join him in launching and growing Tamatem Games. I had zero experience in the games industry, I spent my whole career working for a banking company and the gaming industry was so very foreign and new to me. For as long as I can remember I was an avid gamer and had a big love for playing games spending most of my free time playing but I never thought I would launch a career in the industry itself. Hussam wanted someone he could trust to manage the operations of the company and we essentially had to build the whole thing from scratch. I had to make the very difficult decision to leave my steady corporate career and join something that at the time had a very high-risk factor, but I believed in Hussam and his idea to launch an Arabic mobile games publisher. The decision was not an easy one to make, but I’m so very happy that I did. I left the only world that I ever knew and joined Hussam in launching Tamatem. I knew that the experience would be very different from where I was but I didn’t imagine how incredibly different the start-up world would be. We did everything from administration work to dealing with landlords and even transferring bills! We had to wear so many different hats because we had no one else. I went from leading a very specific department and team to something that was constantly shifting. It took me a while to adjust from the corporate world to the very uncertain non-uniform start-up life. But with high risk comes high return. I jumped the opportunity and never looked back and it was the best decision I ever made. 

When you see Tamatem today, what do you feel?

When we first started off we were only 10 people in the company, today, Tamatem’s family has grown to over 100 people from all around the world. The numbers we are making today were merely a dream 10 years ago and now we’re living it! I never imagined that we would get to where we are today and I am so very proud of what we accomplished. At times and especially working at a startup, things would seem impossible, we had a lot of ups and downs during the years but if you have the right mindset and if you genuinely believe in what you are doing; with the right vision and the right people nothing is impossible. I truly believe that your mindset can change everything. With the right state of mind, with the growth state of mind, entrepreneurs can push through any road bump that could come their way.

Also, hiring the right people is an extremely fundamental thing to the success of your company. You don’t want to just hire anyone that fits the job description, you must hire the right person for the culture and environment of the company, and more importantly, you must hire the people that believe in where the ship is headed, in the dream, in the vision. We look for dreamers, we look for people that have a growth mindset that believes in what we’re doing. Those are the people that will take your company to the next level. Because, essentially, everything is trainable within the scope of work, but you can’t really train people to believe or think in a certain way, you need to have people that go beyond their work scope that are willing to learn and expand their personal goals. With the right people and the right mindset, anything is possible I have seen this firsthand with my experience at Tamatem and it gives me so much pride to see that where we are today is because of so many people that have come our way and helped take our dream to the next level.

What was your favorite game to play growing up? Were you a Console or PC player? 

I was a PC gamer growing up, I only bought a console a couple of years back! Ever since I was a kid I was obsessed with PC games and my first one was when I was around 7 years old, it was called ‘Sakher’ and I was absolutely hooked. It was a big hit when it launched in the market a super long time ago! I was obsessed with PCs and I even once convinced my father to buy the Pentium PC which had the encyclopedia on it with the excuse of me studying… I ended up playing FIFA 98 on it!

What is your favorite Tamatem game?

My all-time favorite Tamatem game was one of earlier published ones ‘Shake the Metal’ it was one of the games I enjoyed playing most! We spent a lot of time creating the game and I really enjoyed the mechanics of it! It was a super unique and original game and was localized perfectly for the Arabic market. My favorite Tamatem game today is VIP Tarneeb! I really enjoy playing Tarneeb! 

Tell me about your day-to-day at Tamatem. What does it entail? What does a regular day at Tamatem look like for you?

As Chief Operations Officer I basically overlook everything! There are 8 main departments at Tamatem and I need to make sure that they’re all running smoothly so that the business runs smoothly! My day is loaded with meetings, slack messages, and emails! Most of my days are following up with department heads and making sure everything is running smoothly! My days are extremely busy, today I have 9 meetings for example! Sometimes, we need to think of ways that would reduce meetings to increase productivity. Sometimes a simple slack message can do the job but other times meetings need to happen to resolve issues, motivate people and align! My role at Tamatem Games is always making sure that we are headed in the right direction, that we are always looking towards our vision, and that every team at Tamatem works seamlessly and is functioning at the highest and best level.

What would you say is the hardest part of your job?

I would say hiring the right people is the most important and most difficult part of the job. As mentioned earlier, people can really make or break the whole unit. One wrong person or one wrong decision can truly have a huge impact on the work, the company, and the team. Similarly, one right person can elevate and rapidly grow the environment you place them in. So it really is such a delicate process that needs to be carefully handled. 

What is your favorite part of your job?

When you see the team grow to its full potential and specifically the people that you work closely with. I have seen some team members grow over the years and reach their full potential and it’s so rewarding to see the growth and improvement of your co-workers and your team! 

What would you do if you and Hussam didn’t agree on something?

There are a lot of things Hussam and I disagree on, no two people can agree on everything all the time but the good thing about us both is that we challenge ourselves to be able to entertain each other’s points of view! If any of us has an idea we brainstorm and discuss the different implications of that idea or proposal. I also like the way Hussam presents a new idea he has a very modern and open way of approaching new things whereby we would be discussing the topic in a very non-biased way which allows us to come to a well thought final decision that is most beneficial to the company!   

What would you say is the most important aspect of a company’s culture? How do you maintain a healthy and happy work environment?

A lot of people mistake culture for an environment that’s “cool” or “fun” but actually what makes or breaks the company’s culture is the values that it’s built on. The more that a company grows the more important the values that it has been built on become because the more we grow the more people we have coming through our doors and we need to make sure that the values and fundamentals that Tamatem was built on remain. Our work ethic, the way we question things, the way we approach problems or issues, and the way we communicate with one another. This is all a part of the company’s culture and more importantly, the culture mirrors the values that all of Tamatem’s team takes very seriously. So in my point of view, to have a modern and relaxed working environment you need to have a working culture that is based on fundamental values that the company was founded on. That way, no matter how much you grow or how many more people come in you can maintain the culture and always go back to the compass of the ship when in doubt. Also, another super important part of a company’s culture is to make people see that this company is essentially theirs. It is the place that they spend most of their time in, and when they have a sense of ownership towards the company they automatically start to feel a responsibility towards it, a responsibility to keep it safe, healthy, and always growing. 

What is the greatest success/achievement you witnessed at Tamatem Games?

Honestly, the best success that tops everything is to see people growing at Tamatem! Your team turns into your family and seeing people progress, grow and develop is truly one of the most rewarding feelings you can get as a manager. We have become the regions leading mobile gaming company and that happened with the amazing team and talent that we have! We have bred superstar players and I am so proud of our team and the people behind Tamatem Games!

What do you think the MENA mobile games market is going to look like in the next 5 years?

The MENA mobile games market is the only market that stayed afloat and actually continued to grow this year! All the other markets (China & USA) had significant drops but MENA maintained. MENA on the whole is one of the fastest-growing markets, and MENA mobile games are especially growing and flourishing! There’s massive room to grow in the MENA mobile games market because it still hasn’t been saturated, there are only a few players in the industry and that means that the supply is still significantly less than the great demand that exists in mobile games. I think the market is going to continue to grow exponentially and in 5 years probably reach heights we never imagined! There’s a huge opportunity that lies in MENA mobile games and Arabic mobile games! With the rise of countries like Saudi Arabia and their heavy investment in the industry, sets the market on the global stage for growth and expansion. More than that, the industry itself is also expanding into different verticals like web3 and Play To Earn games! The MENA mobile games market is set for a massive boom and success in the near future and we are here for it!  

Learn more about what makes the MENA region the fastest growing mobile games market today ahead of Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan this November

By Adriana Martinez, Marketing Executive

Did you know that the MENA region is expected to reach over $5 billion by 2025?

We’ve already discussed the predicted exponential growth of the blockchain market in the region, and we’ve given you a glimpse into the overall market outlook. Today, we’re taking a closer look at exactly how the MENA region has been supporting the flourishing community of gamemakers in the area, and how this incredible support is paving the way for this region to be the fastest growing games market in the world.

We have an unmissable chance to join us there this November, and you won’t want to miss out! We’re returning to Jordan this November 12th to 13th for two incredible days of networking and sharing cutting-edge insights right on the shore of the glorious Dead Sea, and over 700 games industry professionals from all over the globe will be in attendance. We’ll be hearing from over 100 world-renowned speakers on all the hottest topics facing the games industry today, and we’ll have a number of matchmaking opportunities lined up for you to meet your dream business partner. Currently, we even have an exclusive limited time deal to secure your spot at our Jordan conference with a special discount! Head over to our official website to book your ticket today and save hundreds with our Early Bird discount, instantly applied at checkout. The clock is ticking!

Keep on reading to learn about the opportunities for gamemakers in the MENA region!

A Thriving Gaming Market

Expected to reach $5 billion by 2025 and currently valued at $1.78 billion, the MENA region has established itself as a key growth region in the global video games industry.

This incredible growth is attributed to increased spending by current gamers, time spent in-game by users and surging advertising revenue according to a report by RedSeer. This is being linked back to a growing interest from consumers that are typically underserved in the region, spanning various demographics such as females and Gen X, as well as the overall gaming market boom provided by the pandemic over the past few years and the prevalent youth population in the area.

Today, the MENA region’s domestic market is the fastest growing in the world, touting over 377 million estimated players – this is almost as many gamers as all of Europe combined (386 million) and much more than America (210 million).

Investing in the MENA Region

Online gaming players in the Middle East are starting to get familiar with NFTs and tokens in gaming, and within a developed gaming industry, it’s becoming an increasingly irresistible opportunity for global gaming companies. Vorto Games, the gaming company behind crypto-based video game Hash Rush, is bringing a ‘play to earn’ model to the MENA region where gamers can generate real NFTs via playing the game. Speaking on the decision, chief strategy officer Warren Sample noted the massive opportunity to capitalise in this specific region. “There is a lot of innovation development that is happening in the region and when you add a youthful population with new ways to socially connect, we think there is a very good alignment with what we are talking about.”

Today, the MENA region’s domestic market is the fastest growing in the world, touting over 377 million estimated players – this is almost as many gamers as all of Europe combined (386 million) and much more than America (210 million).

Further, Crypto Gaming United, the premier play-to-earn league, is actively growing its presence in the MENA region to push blockchain, NFT, DeFi, DAO, fintech, crypto-mining and next generation Web development. This expansion is promoting actively embracing the metaverse as a valid career choice in developing countries. CGU co-founder Sergei Sergienko spoke on the league’s decision to pursue the ample business opportunities in the region. “We are happy to contribute to a meaningful discussion of trends and opportunities in the metaverse, given that our business is growing so rapidly in the MENA region.”

Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Gaming Group, our partners for the upcoming PG Connects Leaders Summit Riyadh, plans to invest $38.7 billion into the games industry, including a $13 billion acquisition of a leading (but unnamed) games publisher. This major investment will include $18.6 billion focused on financing a variety of “key companies” to acquire minority stakes in support game development, and $481 million is reserved for investments in esports companies and “industry disruptors to grow early-stage games”. A further $4.8 billion will be invested in “mature industry partners.”

Esports have been a major growth focus in the region as well. Activision recently partnered with the Saudi Telecom Company to introduce dedicated servers hosted in Riyadh and Jeddah for Call of Duty. Riot Games, the masterminds behind League of Legends, established Middle East servers for their game Valorant in October 2020 and Zain Group launched a new esports brand to hold a series of regional online esports tournaments. These are just a few of the examples of the increased presence of esports in the region.

Just this February, Saudi Arabian tech hub NEOM announced a joint venture with Dubai-based MBC Group to form the first AAA games development studio in the area to produce high-production-value games for local, regional and international gamers. Currently, all eyes and ears are shifting towards the MENA market, and the surging numbers of players due to the prevalent number of youth in the region and the pandemic is only emphasising the demand for more game creation in the region.

Opportunities for growth are sprouting everywhere from the games community and for the games community in this area. There’s more and more local development talent sprouting and creating for the local players, with Tamatem, one of Jordan’s leading developers that was founded just in 2013, now having a total value of over $80 million while specialising in localising internationally renowned games to suit Arabic-speaking users.

Government-Backed Support

Much of the anticipated growth is expected to also stem from the government support across games and esports in the region.

Governments in the MENA region are particularly supportive of the video games sector, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE having introduced policies to encourage game localisation, local game development, new studios and offices of international game companies and hosting major esports tournaments to encourage growth in the sector.

Governments in the MENA region are particularly supportive of the video games sector, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE having introduced policies to encourage game localisation, local game development, new studios and more.

There’s been an abundance of positive news regarding policies embracing the growth of the gaming sector in this region, with developments as recent as of September 15th about the HRH crown prince unveiling the National Gaming and Esports Strategy marking the beginning of a new era towards leading the gaming sector and making Saudi Arabia the global hub for this sector by 2030 through his Vision 2030 objectives. The statement highlighted that “The National Gaming and Esports Strategy is driven by the creativity and energy of our citizens and gamers, who are at the heart of the strategy. We are delivering on the ambitions of the gaming community in Saudi Arabia and around the world, with an exciting new career, and unique entertainment opportunities; aiming to make Saudi Arabia the ultimate global hub for this sector by 2030” and later goes on to describe the objectives of this strategy being to raise the quality of life through improvement of the player experience, providing new entertainment opportunities and achieving an economic impact to the gross domestic product directly and indirectly. This development is massive when it comes to acknowledging the increasing presence of the gaming industry in the region, and the region’s commitment to playing a key role in the global gaming arena.

Another recent development for e-gaming in the Saudi Arabian region is The Game Changers Initiative led by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, a programme offering apprenticeship training and aiding participants to finding jobs in the gaming sector and establishing startups.

Even in areas still in their infancy when it comes to game development such as Africa, there has been a recent explosion of opportunity for gaming talent. The recent launch of Africa Game Developers Association boasts members from over 18 African countries, and it’s a leading organisation in encouraging the notable talent in the region to further their careers.

Institutional support when it comes to expanding the gaming sector felt throughout this region is palpable, and it’s why there’s no question about the growing importance of keeping an eye on this region and establishing connections here. PG Connects Jordan presents a prime opportunity to do just that.

The market continues to grow, and Jordan’s gaming leaders, including Tamatem and Maysalward, infuse games with Arabic culture

By Peggy Anne Salz, Mobile Groove – Founder, Analyst & Content Strategist

Jordan is no stranger to the worlds of technology and gaming. In fact, Jordan is the home of the very first gaming company in the region, Maysalward, which initially focused on helping Western gaming companies localize and repackage their games for the Arabic-speaking world and has since diversified into development.

Continuing in this fashion today is Tamatem, founded in Jordan in 2013. Tamatem is a distributor of mobile games and has partnerships with companies in the United States, China, France, South Korea, Bulgaria, and Croatia, converting existing games to Arabic and consulting on infusing them with Arabic culture. Tamatem recently announced a $5 million investment and strategic partnership with MSA Novo, the emerging markets investing arm of MSA Capital.

Maysalward was founded by Nour Khrais, who created the very first Arabic mobile game in 2004. Today, Khrais is still CEO, and Maysalward continues to thrive. One of the company’s titles, Dominoes Pro, has recorded over 50 million downloads across iOS and Android.

Khrais has watched the region’s entire gaming history and is excited about the growth underway today. With more and more game studios cropping up, the industry is starting to mature in Jordan and across the MENA region. “We are starting to see more ad-supported models take off,” says Khrais, “and nowadays, gaming is reaching equal footing – with radio and television – as a pillar of the advertising media market.”

Growing the Market

Looking ahead, Khrais (who also plays a key role in the Gaming Lab and the Jordan Gaming Task Force, among other initiatives) sees plenty of reasons for optimism. “5G is almost live in all major markets in MENA, the majority of residents are under 25 years old, and gaming is their primary form of entertainment,” says Khrais. 

The population is also increasingly financially empowered. “We are seeing more banks giving credit card access for young consumers,” Khrais adds.

It’s a combination that bodes well for the Jordanian gaming market. Mobile game revenue is expected to grow from $43.2 million generated by 1.76 million players in 2022 to $57.6 million generated by 2.1 million players by 2027, for annual revenue growth of 5.89% for the period. ARPPU for Jordan is expected to reach $24.49 in 2022.

Like its MENA neighbours, Jordan’s government and society are supporting the industry in a variety of ways. Jordan’s universities have made gaming and development an important part of curricula, and the industry’s professions are garnering increasing respect and success in society. Hussein bin Abdullah, Crown Prince of Jordan, himself attended the Gaming Summit in 2018 to witness the conversation about games industry growth in the country. 

Your Chance to Visit Amman Now

That’s why Jordan makes a logical host for our upcoming annual event, Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan 2022, two days of networking, learning, and presentations expected to be attended by over 700 gaming industry professionals from all over the globe.

As well as the conference (where it is still possible to win heavily subsidised tickets if you are an indie developer), it is possible to travel to Petra on Monday, 15th November, to see one of the true wonders of the world.

You can also join other global and MENA leaders two weeks later in Riyadh for our first Leaders Summit.

AMMAN — Its logo is a tomato, not an apple, but in just eight years Jordanian company Tamatem has already bitten a chunk out of the lucrative market for Arabic mobile games.

“Less than one percent of Internet content is in Arabic, even though there are 400 million Arab users,” said the company’s founder and CEO Hussam Hammo.

“There is a very big gap in this market that we are trying to fill,” added the 38-year-old entrepreneur, sitting in his elegant Amman offices. 

Hammo founded Tamatem — which means tomato — in 2013 and it was the first Arab company to win investment from the “500 Startups” program based in Silicon Valley, California.

Eight years on the company has grown to about 80 staff who convert mobile phone games into Arabic, also adapting content to fit Arab culture.

“Language was a barrier to mobile games growth” in the region, said Nour Khrais, founder and chief executive of games developer Maysalward.

“The Arabic language connects [the player] emotionally.”

With offices now in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Tamatem has published more than 50 mobile games, which have been downloaded more than 100 million times on Apple and Google Play stores.

“Seventy percent of smartphone users in the Arab world have set their phones in Arabic, which means they like to use content in their mother language,” said Hammo.

“Sadly when you search in English for a game in app stores you will find millions of games, but when you search in Arabic there are only a few thousand,” he added.

‘Billion-dollar industry’ 

But competition is fierce, and Khrais said the Middle East and North Africa region was “the largest growth region in the world in the field of electronic games”.

Market analysts Mordor Intelligence said the global gaming market in 2020 was valued at $174 billion and was expected to reach $314 billion in 2026.

Tamatem, which has partnerships with companies in the US, China, France, South Korea, Bulgaria and Croatia, converts games by replacing characters’ voices and names, adapting music and clothing, adding Muslim holidays like Ramadan, and even changing car license plates. 

“We don’t only do translation, we do the most important thing which is educating by making the content relevant to the Arab culture,” said chief operating officer Eyad Al Basheer.

“Hollywood Story” from Nanobit.com, in which players can become movie stars, strut the red carpet, hang out with fans and even shoot blockbusters, was renamed “Malekat Al Moda” — or “Queen of Fashion”.

.Instead of locations in New York and Los Angeles, the avatars travel between Dubai, Beirut and Cairo, in an Arabic game that has now been downloaded more than 15 million times. 

Strategy multiplayer and civilization-building game “Clash of Empire” from developer Leme Games launched its Arabic version “Tahadi Al-Molouk” or “Challenge of Kings” this year.

‘Next industrial revolution 

To fit Arab audiences, the figure of the notorious crusader Richard the Lionheart has been replaced by legendary dynastic Muslim leader, Salah Al-Din Al Ayubi.

One of the company’s biggest hits is “Shake the Metal” which taps into the popular sport of drifting. Featuring car models beloved in the Arab world, it has now been downloaded five million times.

The most popular of Tamatem’s Arabic mobile games, however, is “VIP Belote”, which is based on the French card game and has been downloaded more than 20 million times. 

In a 2019 report by the World Economic Forum, Tamatem was chosen as one of the best 100 Arabic companies “shaping the fourth industrial revolution”. 

And the COVID-19 pandemic has proved a boon, with the number of mobile gamers soaring by 150 percent, Hammo said.

“Tamatem made games easier, and we understand things that we didn’t understand before because it was in English,” said player Khader Hamid, a 28-year-old civil engineer.

Mona Rummaneh, a 30-year-old working in e-marketing, said Arabic games left her “confident that all the content is appropriate for our culture and morals”.

She recalled how after the Beirut port explosion in August 2020, she and other gamers voiced their solidarity with Lebanese players.

“So it is more than just a game,” she said.

Article by Kamal Taha

Jordan-based mobile game publisher Tamatem announced today it has raised $11 million in a Series B led by KRAFTON, a South Korean game developer behind PUBG, marking its first investment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Venture Souq, Endeavor Catalyst, and existing investors also participated in the round. 

The Series B round brings its total raised to over $17 million and values Tamatem at around $80 million, Hussam Hammo, CEO and founder of Tamatem told TechCrunch. 

Tamatem publishes games relevant to Arabic users and customizes its games to fit the culture.  

“The users need to feel that the game was made for them, not just translated from one language to another. Tamatem makes the games culturally relevant to the end-users,” said Hammo. “The demand for relatable and enjoyable mobile games is higher than ever and our mission is to provide our region with the best gaming experience possible.”

Tamatem will use the latest funding to amplify its efforts by bringing various games with more popular titles to the Arabic-speaking market. The startup will hire local talent in Saudi Arabia to expand further. The gaming industry is booming in Saudi Arabia, with about 70% of Tamatem’s users, Hammo noted. 

“Big things are happening for the mobile games industry in the region. We are reaping the rewards of our past successes and pushing forward with more experience and more grit. We are at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the massive potential of mobile games in MENA, and I am always super elevated when more people invest in the industry and the region,” Hammo said. 

The startup also plans to launch a gaming academy to train, educate and elevate employment in the industry in pursuit of pushing the market’s growth and maturity. 

It has published more than 50 games since 2013, including its four main games: VIP Baloot, VIP Jalsat, Fashion Queen and Clash of Empire. Tamatem has over 120 million downloads across its portfolio and 3.5 million daily active users on its top games. 

The company has 75 employees, and is planning on doubling in size in the next six months, Hammo noted. 

Tamatem plans to continue expanding globally and hiring all kinds of talent from all over the world. 

“We have employees in the U.S., India, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Hungary and Jordan. We opened an office in Saudi and Egypt last year and are planning to open more regional offices in different countries,” Hammo said.

“We see huge potential in the MENA region and are happy to have started our investment journey here with a prolific publisher like Tamatem. We are committed to the MENA region and are willing to take more bets in the overall media and entertainment sector. This investment is aligned with our efforts to strengthen our commitment to the startup ecosystem. This is just the beginning of our many investments in this region,” said Anuj Tandon, head of corporate development (India and MENA) at KRAFTON. “As we continue our focus to provide the best experience for our MENA users of our various games including PUBG: NEW STATE, Tamatem’s deep understanding of the local landscape and this collaboration will be very helpful.”

Article by Kate Park, Tech Crunch

Its logo is a tomato, not an apple, but in just eight years Jordanian company Tamatem has already bitten a chunk out of the lucrative market for Arabic mobile games.

“Less than one percent of internet content is in Arabic, even though there are 400 million Arab users,” said the company’s founder and CEO Hussam Hammo.

“There is a very big gap in this market that we are trying to fill,” added the 38-year-old entrepreneur, sitting in his elegant Amman offices.

Hammo founded Tamatem, which means tomato, in 2013 and it was the first Arab company to win investment from the “500 Startups” program based in Silicon Valley, California.

Eight years on the company has grown to about 80 staff who convert mobile phone games into Arabic, also adapting content to fit Arab culture.

“Language was a barrier to mobile games growth” in the region, said Nour Khrais, founder and chief executive of games developer Maysalward.

“The Arabic language connects (the player) emotionally.”

With offices now in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Tamatem has published more than 50 mobile games, which have been downloaded more than 100 million times on Apple and Google Play stores.

“Seventy percent of smartphone users in the Arab world have set their phones in Arabic, which means they like to use content in their mother language,” said Hammo.

“Sadly when you search in English for a game in app stores you will find millions of games, but when you search in Arabic there are only a few thousand,” he added.

‘Billion-dollar industry’

But competition is fierce, and Khrais said the Middle East and North Africa region was “the largest growing region in the world in the field of electronic games”.

Market analysts Mordor Intelligence said the global gaming market in 2020 was valued at $174 billion and was expected to reach $314 billion in 2026.

Tamatem, which has partnerships with companies in the US, China, France, South Korea, Bulgaria, and Croatia, converts games by replacing characters’  voices and names, adapting music and clothing, adding Muslim holidays’ like Ramadan, and even changing car license plates.

“We don’t only do translation, we do the most important thing, which is educating by making the content relevant to the Arab culture,” said chief operating officer Eyad Al Basheer.

“Hollywood Story” from Nanobit.com, in which players can become movie stars, strut the red carpet, hang out with fans and even shoot blockbusters, was renamed “Malekat al Moda”, or “Queen of Fashion”.

Instead of locations in New York and Los Angeles, the avatars travel between Dubai, Beirut, and Cairo, in an Arabic game that has now been downloaded more than 15 million times.

Strategy multiplayer and civilization-building game “Clash of Empire” from developer Leme Games launched its Arabic version “Tahadi Al-Molouk” or “Challenge of Kings” this year.

‘Next industrial revolution’

To fit Arab audiences, the figure of the notorious crusader Richard the Lionheart has been replaced by legendary dynastic Muslim leader, Salah al-Din al-Ayubi.

One of the company’s biggest hits is “Shake the Metal” which taps into the popular sport of drifting. Featuring car models beloved in the Arab world, it has now been downloaded five million times.

The most popular of Tamatem’ s Arabic mobile games however, is “VIP Belote”, which is based on the French card game and has been downloaded more than 20 million times.

In a 2019 report by the World Economic Forum, Tamatem was chosen as one of the best 100 Arabic companies “shaping the fourth industrial revolution”.

And the Covid-19 pandemic has proved a boon, with the number of mobile gamers soaring by 150 percent, Hammo said.

“Tamatem made games easier, and we understand things that we didn’t understand before because it was in English,” said player Khader Hamid, a 28-year-old civil engineer. Mona Rummaneh, a 30-year-old working in e-marketing, said Arabic games left her “confident that all the content is appropriate for our culture and morals”.

She recalled how after the Beirut port explosion in August 2020, she and other gamers voiced their solidarity with Lebanese players. “So it is more than just a game,” she said.

Article by BolNews

Every founder experiences their own bumpy road, and whether the destination turns out as expected or not, there’s no denying that the journey itself is where all the grit and growth is. 

The cornerstone of Tamatem Games’ team spirit, culture, and work ethic is, without a doubt, underscored by founder Hussam Hammo and his entrepreneurial journey. This blog post will give you a brief idea of his entrepreneurial story, covering some stops along the way and Tamatem Games today. 

After completing his studies in Computer Science and programming at the Princess Sumaya University for Technology in Amman, Jordan, Hammo was adamant about pursuing a career in the field. Knowing that he wanted to eventually found his own company, Hammo took the opportunity to dive into a few different projects to start. 

Hussam co-founded his first company in 2006; it was the first of its kind Arabic social network by the name of Faye3.com. From there, Faye3.com was met with huge success, accumulating over 1 million users. It was then that Hammo realized the clear-as-day, painstaking need for Arabic content. Arabic-speakers were severely underserved when it came to consuming quality content in their own native language. 

Coming off the success of Faye3.com, Hussam founded “Wizard Productions”, a gaming studio set on developing social online games targeting the Arab region. After developing and launching the first Arabic 3D game on Facebook, Wizard Productions went on to launch 10 more games and boast a user base of 500,000.

Once again, it was clear that the market was blatantly underserved – with 300 million Arabic speakers and a mere 1% of native Arabic online content, the pain point was apparent. But with that, there was a lack of investment and funding to drive output, so Wizard Productions was eventually shut down. 

From his years-long experience with Wizard Productions, Hammo realized that there was a shift in focus to mobile games and from there, Tamatem Games was born. Tamatem Games was founded in 2013 on the main premise of serving the MENA market with Arabic mobile games. Not only was his mission to create mobile games in the Arabic language, but to also focus on culture-specific elements as well. 

Once this mission was realized, the Tamatem Games business model slowly but surely came to fruition. Hammo positioned Tamatem Games as a mobile game publishing house that partners with global game developers to bring their mobile games to the untapped MENA market. By first assessing the potential success that already-existing mobile games would have in MENA, there would be no time or effort spent on game development.

Working with developers from all over the world to bring their successful mobile games to the MENA region might seem like a simple process on the surface. But it’s not as easy as translating a game from English to Arabic and slapping it on the app store – enter localization. Localization goes beyond translation; it focuses on building a game that is culturally relevant to the audience in every way. 

Having fine-tuned the localization process over the years, Tamatem Games has become MENA’s top mobile game publisher. Today, the Tamatem team is made up of 75 people with hopes of doubling in size over the next six months or so. Our track record includes more than 40 games launched and over 100 million downloads, with lots of our growth having taken place over the past few years. 

With a mission of “making users feel like games were made just for them”, Tamatem Games is on the frontline of the MENA industry’s groundbreaking growth. Having just raised an $11M Series B led by Krafton, Tamatem’s growth trajectory is highly promising. 

Currently operating in a market that is booming exponentially and still largely untapped, with a vastly skilled, passionate, and driven team, Hammo’s entrepreneurial journey has led him exactly where had hoped to be and beyond.

If you’re here reading this, you’ve shown the first sign of interest in working at Tamatem Games – so thanks! For those who want to take the next step and get the real deal on what it takes to get hired at Tamatem Games, this blog post will give you the short and sweet rundown. 

The process of landing a job can be stressful from start to finish; whether it’s the search phase, application process, or in-person interviews. However, if there’s one thing you should keep in mind when applying to work at Tamatem Games, it’s this: the human aspect. 

Although we do focus on hiring people with the right experience, skills, and track records, we also give ample consideration to their human side – what makes them unique, what excites them, and what they’re like on a day-to-day basis. 

Tell us who you really are

We’ve been in the industry for quite some time and, by now, we know how much authenticity matters. Drop the preconceived personality traits you think are right for the job and just be yourself. 

Don’t build a persona that you think will get you hired – you’re better off being honest and just showing us your genuine, true self. When you’re writing that resume, updating your LinkedIn, proofreading your cover letter, and preparing for your interview, just be yourself all the way through and that’s how you’ll up your chances of getting hired. 

Show us what you can do

Relying on your resume to list all your qualifications and skills won’t do you justice. Instead, try getting creative; showing us what you can do is far more powerful than telling us. If you’re a UI/UX designer, try going the extra mile and building a visual interface to showcase your talent. The fact that you’re willing to put in the extra effort, that on its own, would be impressive evidence of dedication on your part.

Let your energy speak for itself

Again, if you’re listing “passionate”, “energetic” and “engaged” as personality traits on your resume, then you should make sure they come through off paper too in your interview.

At Tamatem Games, we take our company culture and office environment seriously so the in-person aspect of the hiring process is pivotal. Not only should you prepare to hit all the right talking points in your interview, but you should also be yourself and let your energy speak for itself. Try to make sure that the person you’re describing in your resume is the same person who shows up in person – that way you’re not overpromising and underdelivering.

Follow all the right steps

As someone looking to work at Tamatem Games, you could follow every piece of advice up to this point but if you’re not taking the actual steps then it won’t really matter. 

To kick off your road to working at Tamatem, start by heading to our careers page. Browse our open positions and follow the application steps as listed. If you come in for an interview and you think you’re right for the position, send over a follow-up email and tell us why you won’t take no for an answer. 

Regardless of what job you’re interested in or which company you’re applying to work at, there’s always a way to get your foot in the door or to put yourself on the radar. In addition to applying, try reaching out to your personal connections, send out a few messages through LinkedIn, and attend more events where you can broaden your network, and remember: when there’s a will, there’s a way!