Mobile gaming has shown tremendous growth across emerging markets over past years, with the MENA region straight ahead at the forefront. Now more than ever, mobile has evidently taken over the region and it’s here to stay. Forecasts show that the MENA mobile gaming market is predicted to maintain its multi-billion dollar revenue for years to come, making it an investment opportunity worth keeping an eye on. 

In an effort to take a closer look at mobile gaming in MENA, this blog post will give you a quantifiable look at the market while breaking down some elements that make it a high-growth region with large potential.

Market Size & Demographic

The MENA region is uniquely opportune – with a population of over 400 million, it boasts an attractive market size. About half of the MENA population is aged under 25, making its mobile game market potential powerful and unwavering. In addition, around 50% of the region has internet access which results in a viable market demographic with high potential for acquirable users.

Showing the highest year-over-year growth among emerging markets, like Latin America and Asia Pacific, in the mobile space, the MENA region has proven to be a worthy contender for mobile game developers’ next best investment. 

An Unsaturated Marketplace

Not only does MENA have a generous market size and a suitable demographic, but it’s also extremely unsaturated. With the scarce supply of high-quality Arabic mobile games and large demand for more and more mobile entertainment, the MENA market is largely untapped. That, combined with the growing internet adoption rate and the young age of average mobile gamers makes MENA the ideal market. 

Smartphone penetration rates are on the rise, meaning that the market will naturally show an increase in demand for mobile games catered to the region. MENA’s unsaturated marketplace means that mobile game developers should set their sights on expanding into the region via localization. 

MENA Mobile Games: What Works?

Considering that the majority of MENA uses Arabic as their default language, the market is a localization gold mine waiting to be tapped into. Seeing as the region is significantly culture-oriented, Arabic mobile games are adopted fast and retained strongly. Mobile games that use the Arabic language along with cultural isms and elements tend to perform well. 

As for pricing models, free-to-play mobile games are showing great promise and potential for growth. With that in mind, in-app monetization is an incredibly viable avenue since the Gulf has unparalleled purchasing power. 

Another prevalent trend that has picked up throughout MENA mobile games is social mobile gaming. Games like VIP Baloot and VIP Jalsat are good examples of how socially driven mobile games are successful in the region. This can also be a testament to the power of localization since card games are a huge part of the culture in MENA.

What’s Next For MENA Mobile Gaming

In a nutshell, mobile gaming in the MENA region is a force to be reckoned with and an investment area to capitalize on. With current market trends to show so and forecasts predicting a growth-centric future, we believe more global developers will look to target the MENA mobile gamer. 

If you’re a mobile games developer with an interest to expand into the region, consider partnering with a top mobile games publisher to lead your localization efforts. Tamatem’s team of seasoned translators, marketers, data analysts,, and developers make for a mobile game publishing powerhouse with an impressive track record.