The gaming industry continues to explore new boundaries and the benchmark keeps rising as globalization continues to take place and new ideas emerge. The Middle East and the GCC, in particular, have gone through many transformations in the past decade alone. And as we transition to a post-oil age, countries like UAE are looking into different avenues.
Everyone knows about tourism but you’d be surprised to know how the gaming market is growing rapidly and so is the fanbase and the business potential. Companies are actively looking to invest in new opportunities and during Expo 2020, Dubai showed the world how it plans to be one of the most sustainable, innovative, and technologically advanced cities in the world.
In this blog, we will particularly look at where UAE stands right now, what the plan for the future is, and where we see the region progressing towards.
What the Numbers Look Like
It should be acknowledged that after the Expo 2020, UAE has been in the limelight more than ever before and is progressing alongside other GCC countries. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is an added factor to the bigger, collective growth. In 2019, a total of AED 668.7 million were recorded in video game sales. A massive growth from previous years and right now, the sales are around AED 745.3 million.
To provide an overview, the digital gaming industry in the UAE is projected to grow by around $324.5 million by 2026 and will eventually be evaluated in billions perhaps. For businesses, it is the perfect time to tap into the market and be a step ahead of everyone else.
And above all, the residents and citizens of UAE are young. People under the age of 25 are the main consumers and eventual takeovers of the industry. Over 25% of the population is fully equipped and ready to explore gaming revolutions. The rise in esports events and other gaming activities is a credit to the efforts and the enthusiasm the people of the UAE have shown in the past few years.
Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone and Dubai Internet City are two entities where the UAE government’s effort toward technological evolutions was shown, The ultimate goal of the UAE government is to create a gateway for the people of UAE to interact and collaborate and come up with new ideas at a safe space.
Online Gaming in Dubai and the UAE
If you get in touch with a mobile app development Dubai and get a consultation call, you will get access to all kinds of services and solutions. Decide and move ahead with a development plan. Plus, there is a market for online gaming in particular. UAE is powered by 5G technology, almost 80% of the population has access to high-speed internet and is ready to see what the gaming world has to offer.
And with an active population at hand, leading companies are already investing in the region and if we look at the figures, in particular, digital video games currently hold the most share, followed by mobile games. In 2019, the share for mobile gaming was around 15% but that number has grown drastically to around 30%, a massive growth from previous years.
Right now, we are looking at unprecedented growth where an ecosystem is starting to grow. Conversations are happening and conventions are taking place. Be it GITEX Global or Expo 2020. There is a discourse around gaming, startups, and the bigger tech market.
Moving Forward in the UAE
The Arab World has evolved over the years and again, as we transition away from oil, other landscapes are being looked at and GCC countries are continuously trying to gather the best talent from all over the globe. The idea is to ignite an economy where local digital products matter and compete in the big leagues. Luckily, it won’t take long.
It was just recently that Ubisoft started to design its games in accordance with the Arabic language, trying to reach a wider audience. And even independent indie game developers are doing well, actively trying to create games that fit in with the cultures and norms of Dubai, and other emirates.
TekRevol is currently an emerging digital transformation company that focuses on game development and is particularly customer-centric when it comes to delivering a product and collaborating with clients, and sharing insights. In the end, we recommend you look ahead and research more. Figure out what you want to do and get in touch with a partner.
