MENA countries witness surge in popularity of virtual gaming

 Online gaming has taken the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by storm, all thanks to the increasing proliferation of high-speed internet and expanding community of active gamers. As per a survey conducted by YouGov in 24 markets including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the virtual gaming and e-sports industry is booming in the MENA countries. Online gaming entered the Middle Eastern market in the 2000s, resulting in the growth of LAN cafes across the region. As virtual reality games became highly popular among the tech-savvy population, the Middle East became one of the fastest-growing gaming markets in the world.

As per the YouGov survey, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia are among the top 10 leading global markets for YouTube Gaming in terms of engagement and awareness among gamers about various platforms. At the same time, Egypt is leading the world in terms of Facebook Gaming with 25 percent engagement in the platform. Video streaming service Twitch also enjoys considerable engagement in Saudi Arabia and other MENA nations.

According to Nicole Pike, Global Sector Head of Esports and Gaming at YouGov, the online gaming industry has witnessed a boom among not only gamers but also brands, investors, and advertisers this year. As per social networking site WePC, the popularity of gaming has grown exponentially with the development of platforms like Xbox, Nintendo, PlayStation, tablets, computers, and smartphones. More than 2 billion people across the world are being termed as gamers today.

Data suggests that mobile gamers outnumber gamers who play on computers or consoles in the MENA region. In the UAE, there is 57 percent of mobile gamers as compared to only 21 console gamers, while in Egypt there is 58 percent of gamers who play online games on smartphones or tablets as compared to only 14 percent play on consoles. In addition, these gamers spend an average of 10 hours a week playing online games. Esports is also witnessing a windfall with increasing engagement of participants in Middle Eastern markets.

According to experts, the popularity of online gaming and related activities surged in several parts of the world in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine and social distancing measures. Noting that smartphone usage has almost doubled in MENA countries between 2014 and 2019, online gaming and The esports sector has massive audience potential for industry stakeholders.