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The study by Galal & Karawi Management Consulting in collaboration with Orient Planet Group placed total video game spending across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt at $2.52 billion in 2024. That total surpassed combined consumer outlays on video-on-demand streaming services at $1.16 billion and digital music platforms at $306.7 million. Video games accounted for 63.2 per cent of overall digital media expenditure in the three markets, the consultants reported using data drawn from Statista, DataReportal, GSMA Intelligence and SimilarWeb.
Saudi Arabia’s expenditure represented about 69 per cent of its total consumer spending on digital media with average revenue per user reaching $393, according to the study. The UAE followed with $421 million in spending and an ARPU of $280 while Egypt recorded the largest volume at $1.10 billion supported by a 91.6 per cent gaming penetration rate among internet users. The study highlighted how smartphone adoption, interactive gaming culture and rising in-game purchases have driven the sector’s expansion across the region.
Eng. Asem Galal, co-founder of Galal & Karawi Management Consulting, said the findings demonstrate that video games have become one of the primary engines of digital growth. “One of the most common misconceptions is that the video games industry can only be seen through the lens of software development. Whereas there are clear indications that it is a fully integrated, multidisciplinary ecosystem that requires a combination of creative, artistic, marketing and legal capabilities,” Galal said. He added that the sector’s diversity is generating attractive career paths and enabling Arab talent to compete globally from their home markets.
Dr. Nidal Abou Zaki, managing director of Orient Planet Group, stated that the statistics signal a strategic shift in the region’s digital economy structure. “The Arab world’s youth make the gaming industry more attractive and offers game publishers and content creators a significant competitive advantage on a global scale, as approximately 62.8 per cent of the population is under 35,” Abou Zaki said. The assessment also emphasised gaming’s contribution to the creative economy through opportunities in illustration, music composition, digital marketing and intellectual property management.
Separate projections from IMARC Group forecast the Saudi gaming market to rise from $2.39 billion in 2025 to $4.96 billion by 2034 at a compound annual growth rate of 8.46 per cent. A Grand View Research assessment similarly anticipates 7.9 per cent annual expansion in the Saudi gaming sector through 2030, building on the consumer momentum captured in the Galal & Karawi study. The growth aligns with broader GCC trends where mobile-first adoption has lifted Middle East and Africa games revenues by 8.9 per cent year on year in 2024, according to Newzoo data.
Worldwide games revenue stood at $187.7 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $577.91 billion by 2026 with a 6.58 per cent compound annual growth rate through 2030, Statista figures show. The Saudi-led Arab market forms part of this expansion as government initiatives under Vision 2030 and equivalent programmes continue to support esports, content creation and digital infrastructure. Industry analysts expect the sector to sustain its role in shaping investment flows and youth-oriented brand engagement across the Middle East.
