Saudi Arabia and UAE to propel Gulf region games spending to $3.24 billion by 2028

• The number of gamers will rise to 38.9 million by 2028 with a predicted ARPU of $83.30
• However, with 420 million Arabic speakers worldwide, many are underserved by poor localisation efforts

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In 2023 the gulf region was home to 33.7 million gamers and generated $2.24 billion in player spending with an (average revenue per user) ARPU of $66.34. 

These are figures according to a new ‘Localisation in the MENA region’ report from Niko Partners which predicts that player spending will reach $3.24 billion in 2028 and that number of gamers will rise to 38.9 million with an ARPU of $83.30. 

Saudi Arabia is projected to be the key force in driving this growth alongside the UAE as they account for nearly 80% of player spending. The KSA alone represented 49.5% of the gulf total revenue and 61.7% of its gamers in 2023. 

MENA/Gulf localisation efforts 

The report also finds that growth of the games industry in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is driven by a large youth population, high income levels, significant government investment in esports, and cultural shifts. 

However, with 420 million Arabic speakers worldwide, many are eager to play modern games but are underserved by poor localisation efforts. Over half of GCC gamers prefer Arabic text and voice localisations, and three-quarters value the inclusion of Arab characters, stories, and cultural settings. 

“When it comes to localisation, do not simply translate,” suggests Geekay Group director Timir Rao. “Arabic is a very particular language from a localization standpoint, not to mention it’s aligned right to left. You can’t just put it into a translation tool and use that. There is a lot of work that goes into making it accurate and culturally relevant.”

Niko Partners teamed up with the Saudi Esports Federation on the report. You can read the full white paper here.