Newzoo forecasts $6.55 billion in Middle East games revenue for 2026, up 9.8% on 2025. A separate 2026–2031 industry report puts the same year at $5.14 billion, using its own market definition.
The Middle East gaming market statistics below cover revenue by country, mobile share, player counts, Esports World Cup audiences, Saudi-backed deals and published forecasts.
Middle East Gaming Market Statistics
How Big Is the Middle East Gaming Market in 2026?
Newzoo’s August 2026 forecast, published with Carry1st, puts Middle East games revenue at $6.55 billion for 2026. That figure is up 9.8% year over year.
Africa and the Middle East together are forecast at $8.53 billion, up 10.3%. Africa contributes $1.98 billion of that total.
Source: Newzoo and Carry1st, Africa and Middle East games market forecast, August 2026 (2026 forecast)
A second estimate comes from a “Middle East Gaming” market report covering 2026–2031, released on GlobeNewswire in September 2026. It sizes the market at $5.14 billion in 2026, up from $4.56 billion in 2025.
The two estimates come from different firms with separate methods, so they are not one series. Read each against its own scope.
Source: Middle East Gaming – Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026–2031), GlobeNewswire release, September 1, 2026
Middle East Gaming Market by Country: Turkey Edges Saudi Arabia
Turkey tops Newzoo’s 2026 country forecast for the Middle East, just ahead of Saudi Arabia. Israel and the UAE follow, almost level with each other.
| Country | 2026 games revenue (forecast) |
|---|---|
| Turkey | $1.65 billion |
| Saudi Arabia | $1.59 billion |
| Israel | $595.3 million |
| United Arab Emirates | $593.1 million |
Source: Newzoo and Carry1st, August 2026 (2026 revenue forecasts)
MENA-3 Games Revenue Outlook From Niko Partners
Niko Partners tracks a narrower group: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, which it calls MENA-3. Its June 2026 market model expects MENA-3 player spending to reach $3 billion in 2030.
MENA-3 ranks second for revenue growth among the regions Niko covers, behind India. The firm expects annual ARPU in MENA-3 to rise by $10 over five years.
For context, Niko’s 2025 edition put MENA-3 games revenue at $2.0 billion for 2024, up 5.4%.
Source: Niko Partners, Asia & MENA Market Model Reports, June 2026; Niko Partners MENA-3 Market Model, 2025 edition
Which Games Region Is Growing Fastest?
The Middle East and Africa is the fastest-growing region in Newzoo’s 2026 report, with revenue forecast to rise 10.3% to $8.5 billion. The same region led in 2025 with 15% growth.
North America grew 5.7% in 2025, the slowest of the five regions. Global revenue rose 9.1% to $201.6 billion, and this breakdown of worldwide games revenue covers the platform split.
Source: Newzoo, 2026 Global Games Market Report, September 2026; Newzoo, Global Games Market Report quarterly update, June 2026 (2025 revenue growth)
Mobile Takes 64.3% of Middle East Games Revenue
Mobile is forecast to generate 4.21billion,or64.3%,ofMiddleEastgamesrevenuein2026.Africaleansfurthertowardmobile,at81.8%(1.62 billion).
Both shares sit above the global level. Newzoo puts worldwide mobile revenue at $121.1 billion in 2026, or 57%, ahead of console at $46.9 billion and PC at $45.9 billion, a gap traced in this mobile versus console revenue comparison.
Source: Newzoo and Carry1st, August 2026 (2026 forecast); Newzoo, 2026 Global Games Market Report, September 2026
How Many People Play Games in the Middle East?
Newzoo forecasts 233.86 million players across the Middle East in 2026. With Africa’s 406.25 million, the combined region reaches 640.12 million, or 17.3% of players worldwide.
The 2026 Global Games Market Report expects the Middle East and Africa player base to grow 7.9%, faster than any other region. Players worldwide are forecast at 3.70 billion, a base profiled in these video game player statistics.
Source: Newzoo and Carry1st, August 2026; Newzoo, 2026 Global Games Market Report, September 2026
Niko Partners puts women at 42% of players across its 13 Asia and MENA markets in 2026. It notes that MENA-3 skewed 80% male five years ago or earlier.
Source: Niko Partners, Asia & MENA Market Model Reports, June 2026
Esports World Cup 2026: 850 Million Viewers From Paris
The 2026 Esports World Cup ran for seven weeks in Paris with a $75 million prize pool. More than 2,000 players from 200 clubs competed in 25 tournaments across 24 games.
AG.AL won the Club Championship with 5,300 points and $7 million, ending Team Falcons’ run of two straight titles. Payouts like these feed into career prize money rankings for top players.
Viewers reached 850 million in 2026, up 13% on 2025, according to the organizer. Hours watched rose 26% to 440 million.
Peak concurrent viewership hit 4.3 million during the League of Legends tournament. Paris sold 175,000 tickets and logged 2 million visits across venues and fan events, figures comparable with other esports tournament attendance records.
The 2024 and 2025 editions ran in Riyadh, and the event returns there in 2027. Paris was the first edition held outside Saudi Arabia.
Source: Esports World Cup, EWC26 in Numbers and Club Champion release, August 2026; Esports World Cup Foundation releases, 2024 and 2025 editions; Saudi Press Agency, August 24, 2026
Esports Nations Cup Moves to November 2027
The Esports Foundation postponed the first Esports Nations Cup from November 2026 to November 2027, after assessing the regional situation and consulting stakeholders. The Riyadh event was announced in January 2026 with a $45 million commitment, including $20 million in prize money across 16 titles.
Source: Esports Nations Cup postponement announcement, August 2026; Esports World Cup Foundation, January 29, 2026
What Has Saudi Capital Bought in Gaming Since 2025?
Electronic Arts completed its sale to PIF, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners on August 4, 2026. The all-cash deal values EA at an enterprise value of about $55 billion.
Stockholders received $210 per share, and EA’s shares stopped trading on Nasdaq. The agreement was announced on September 29, 2025, and approved by stockholders on December 22, 2025.
Source: Electronic Arts, Form 8-K filings, September 2025 and August 2026
Savvy Games Group, owned by PIF, signed an agreement in March 2026 to buy Moonton, maker of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, from ByteDance. The deal is valued at more than $6 billion, and completion was subject to regulatory approvals at signing.
Source: Savvy Games Group statement, March 20, 2026
Scopely, a Savvy subsidiary, completed its $3.5 billion purchase of Niantic’s games business on May 29, 2025. The deal added Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom and Monster Hunter Now to Scopely’s portfolio.
Source: Savvy Games Group, May 29, 2025
Deal values measure transaction size, not consumer spending. They do not compare with the revenue estimates above.
Forecasts for the Middle East Gaming Market Through 2031
The 2026–2031 report projects the market at $9.32 billion by 2031, a compound annual growth rate of 12.66% from 2026. Niko Partners expects MENA-3 player spending to reach $3 billion by 2030.
Niko lists risks to its outlook: currency swings, rising memory prices, inflation and geopolitical instability, including the 2026 Iran conflict. It still expects Asia and MENA to grow faster than the global market through 2030.
Source: GlobeNewswire release, September 1, 2026 (2026–2031 forecast); Niko Partners, June 2026
Saudi Arabia and UAE Gaming Targets
Saudi Arabia’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy targets 250 games companies, 39,000 jobs and a SAR 50 billion GDP contribution by 2030. PIF restated these goals in July 2023; they are targets, not reported results.
Source: Public Investment Fund, Savvy–Scopely completion release, July 12, 2023
Dubai’s Program for Gaming 2033, launched in November 2023, aims for 30,000 new gaming jobs and about $1 billion added to GDP by 2033.
Source: Government of Dubai Media Office, November 2, 2023
FAQs
How much is the Middle East gaming market worth?
Newzoo forecasts $6.55 billion in Middle East games revenue for 2026, up 9.8%. A separate 2026–2031 report estimates $5.14 billion for 2026 using a different method.
Which Middle East country spends the most on games?
Turkey leads Newzoo’s 2026 forecast at $1.65 billion, followed by Saudi Arabia at 1.59billion.Israel(595.3 million) and the UAE ($593.1 million) rank third and fourth.
How much Middle East gaming revenue comes from mobile?
Mobile is forecast to generate $4.21 billion in 2026, or 64.3% of Middle East games revenue, per Newzoo and Carry1st. Worldwide, Newzoo puts mobile at 57% of 2026 revenue.
Is the Esports Nations Cup still happening in Riyadh in November 2026?
No. The Esports Foundation postponed the first Esports Nations Cup to November 2027. It had been set for November 2026 in Riyadh with a $45 million funding commitment.
Does Saudi Arabia own EA now, as Reddit threads suggest?
A consortium of Saudi Arabia’s PIF, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners completed its purchase of Electronic Arts on August 4, 2026. The deal values EA at about $55 billion, and its shares stopped trading on Nasdaq.
Sources
https://www.carry1st.com/press/africas-games-market-set-to-outpace-global-growth-in-2026
https://nikopartners.com/asia-mena-market-model-2026/
https://esportsworldcup.com/en/news/ewc26-in-numbers
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000712515/000114036126031157/ef20079099_ex99-1.htm
https://rec0ded88.com/statistics/gaming-in-emerging-markets/
