MENA Region Emerges as a Global Gaming Powerhouse with Strategic Public Investment
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Morocco are driving regional growth through substantial public investment in gaming infrastructure, studios, and esports. The Middle East and North Africa region is projected to lead global games revenue growth in 2026, fueled by a mobile-first youth demographic and expanding local development ecosystems.
In 2026, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is projected to lead global games revenue growth, reaching $8.5 billion with a 10.3% year-on-year increase, driven primarily by mobile gaming among a young, tech-savvy population. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Morocco are at the forefront, channeling billions in public investment into gaming infrastructure, studios, and esports ecosystems—marking a strategic pivot from viewing gaming as entertainment to positioning it as an economic pillar. Notable developments include Copa Fantasy, a Saudi-founded Arabic-first football gaming platform launched in 2018, which recorded 1.5 million contests and onboarded 100,000 users within three weeks of its full launch; it is now finalizing a $750,000 seed round to expand marketing and prize pools ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Rababa Games, based in Jordan since 2013, has achieved global success with its Hajwala franchise—over 120 million downloads and more than 500,000 PlayStation sales—making it one of the region’s most successful titles across platforms. Ouaz Games, a Morocco-based studio founded in 2017, has pivoted from hypercasual mobile games to browser and instant gaming platforms like CrazyGames and TikTok Mini Games after Apple’s ATT changes disrupted its earlier model, now attracting around 90,000 monthly active users. These developments are supported by public initiatives such as Merak Capital’s Exel accelerator and industry events like Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan an
The rise of MENA as a gaming powerhouse could reshape global digital content production by diversifying the geographic and cultural origins of hit games, potentially challenging long-dominant hubs like China and South Korea. As studios like Rababa Games demonstrate, regionally inspired titles can achieve international success when they balance local authenticity with universal gameplay mechanics—offering a model that may inspire other emerging markets. The shift toward browser and instant gaming, exemplified by Ouaz Games’ pivot, suggests a broader trend in accessibility and monetization strategies that could influence how games are distributed beyond traditional app stores. However, the lack of a unified regional strategy—especially with Egypt lagging behind despite its large population—may create fragmentation, limiting economies of scale and slowing innovation. Comparable to Southeast Asia’s earlier emergence as a mobile gaming hub, MENA’s growth may follow a similar arc: initial pu