Niko Partners & Saudi Esports Federation: Gulf Countries Market, User Preferences, and Localization
The region is showing an impressive ARPU and opportunities for titles
The report focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, KSA, and the UAE. The total population of these countries is over 60 million, with 57% of that number being in Saudi Arabia.
General Market Information
In 2023, there were 33.7 million players in the GCC countries, with total gaming revenue amounting to $2.24 billion. The annual ARPU across all platforms was $66.34. Saudi Arabia accounted for 49.5% of the income and 61.7% of the gaming population in these countries.
Niko Partners forecasts that 2028 gaming revenue in these countries will reach $3.24 billion (+7.7% CAGR).
The number of players in the GCC countries will increase to 38.9 million by 2028. This will represent a 2.9% growth per year. ARPU will reach $83.3.
The leading countries are Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Together, they will account for approximately 80% of all revenue.
There are currently 420 million people in the world who speak Arabic, making it the 5th most popular language globally. It is an official language in 25 countries. For comparison, the population of the USA is 331 million people.
Player Profile
In December 2023, Niko Partners surveyed 1,225 players from the GCC countries.
69% of gamers in these countries are male.
62.3% of respondents are under the age of 34.
91.7% play on mobile devices. 61.9% on PC; and 55.3% on consoles. People also said they play on Smart TVs (24.6%) and VR (10.1%).
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56.6% of respondents earn less than $30,000 a year. However, 9.4% earn more than $100,000.
Most players prefer F2P games (83.6%). Next come premium games (66%).
The most popular payment methods in the country are credit cards (61.2%), digital wallets (54.5%), debit cards (53.6%), gift/top-up cards (41.7%), cash (29.9%), and payment via phone (20.8%).
Sports games (57.9% play), fighting games (53.8%), and action games (53%) are the most popular genres in the country.
Preferences of GCC Players
40.9% of players consider Arabic localization important. But for the rest, it's not a concern, as they can comfortably play in English.
However, 75% of players believe that seeing elements of Arab culture in games is important.