The number of gamers is predicted to grow to 38.9 million by 2028, generating an ARPU of $83.30. But despite there being 420 million Arabic speakers worldwide, many remain underserved due to lack of localization efforts. Stay updated.
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By 2023, the Gulf region will be home to 33.7 million gamers, with player spend of $2.24 billion and an ARPU (average revenue per user) of $66.34.
These are the figures from Niko Partners’ new “Localization in the MENA Region” report, which predicts player spending will reach $3.24 billion in 2028, with the number of gamers growing to 38.9 million and an ARPU of $83.30.
Accounting for approximately 80% of player spending, Saudi Arabia is expected to be a key driver of this growth alongside the UAE: by 2023, Saudi Arabia alone will account for 49.5% of the Gulf region’s total revenue and 61.7% of gamers.
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MENA/Gulf Region Localization Initiatives
The report also found that the growth of the gaming industry in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is being driven by young populations, high income levels, significant government investment in esports, and cultural changes.
However, there are 420 million Arabic speakers worldwide, many of whom want to play the latest games but their needs are not being met due to lack of localization.More than half of GCC gamers prefer Arabic text and audio localization, and three-quarters value the inclusion of Arabic characters, storylines and cultural settings.
“When it comes to localization, you can’t just translate,” says Timir Rao, director at Geekay Group. “Arabic is a very specific language from a localization perspective, not to mention that it’s right-to-left. You can’t just type it into a translation tool and use it as is. A lot of work goes into making it accurate and culturally appropriate.”
Niko Partners produced the report in collaboration with the Saudi Arabian Esports Federation. The full whitepaper can be found here.