Resilient Growth Asia and MENA to reach 2 billion gamers by 2028 as revenue soars past $85 billion in 2023
Interview Deluxe Creation Studios CEO Edu Shola on developing games in Africa, funding and future plans
June 4, 2024 Expanding Reach Savvy Games Group invites Nintendo, Capcom, and others to establish Middle East offices Saudi's prince Faisal says, “Game development is our long-term goal. We want to build a global hub for gaming and esports."
May 31, 2024 Mena Insight "Operating a studio in MENA involves tough challenges: Cultural diversity, localisation, payment infrastructure and talent acquisition" Jana Games Studio founder Seifeddine Wassim Haddar on the state of play for MENA and importance of community building
May 27, 2024 Interview “There has been an increase in funding opportunities for African developers with more exciting times to come" Dash Studios CEO John Ikpeme on the future of the African gaming landscape, his current projects and the pursuit of funding in Africa
May 24, 2024 New Partnerships Saudi Arabia partners with Japan to create original anime and gaming content The KSA aims to develop a local gaming industry that includes localizing Japanese games for the Saudi market
May 21, 2024 Interview CN Studio co-founder Oussama Ouaziz on the growth and potential of gaming in MENA and Africa "We've seen a growing demand for games that resonate with local culture and experiences, including games that feature regional languages, themes, and characters"
May 13, 2024 Futura Focus Rising star: Why game developers are turning their attention to the UAE Futura Digital dives into the business and legal aspects of setting up a business in the UAE
May 10, 2024 Gaming In Africa Morocco readies first edition of Gaming Expo 2024 The event is focused on developing the Moroccan gaming industry as a global hub
May 10, 2024 Dubai Gameexpo Summit Dubai GameExpo Summit powered by PG Connects welcomes over 1,350 attendees in 2024 More than 1,350 games industry professionals joined us for the two-day conference last week
May 9, 2024 International Expansion Chinese publisher iDreamSky opens office in Riyadh for first international expansion iDreamSky president and co-founder tells PocketGamer.biz the MENA region is an exciting new opportunity in the face of other saturated markets
May 7, 2024 Gaming Trends Dubai launches new Gaming Visa as part of 2033 vision The UAE city aims to unite content creators by providing employment and training opportunities
May 5, 2024 Esports Summit The Esports Future Summit: 7 things we learned Jordan’s five-year plan: lessons from industry experts at last week’s conference in Aqaba
May 3, 2024 Esports In Africa Carry1st's African Cup to feature Call of Duty: Mobile tournament with $15,000 prize pool The competition will feature esports teams from Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa
May 2, 2024 Podcast Sandsoft’s Miikka Lindgren on the opportunities within the MENA market | Podcast The PocketGamer.biz podcast team and guests give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and what's inside this week's episode…
May 2, 2024 And The Winners Are... MENA Games Industry Awards 2024 winners revealed Ceremony celebrates the best and brightest across the Middle East and Africa
May 1, 2024 Partner Up Partner events are the latest trend in Monopoly GO!, Royal Match and Project Makeover GameRefinery GM Brendan Fraher delves into the rise of partner events, while also providing insights on competitive events in match-3
May 1, 2024 Boosting Revenue How user consent for personalised ads can significantly increase your Android revenue GameBiz Consulting's Božo Janković on the power of personalised ads and why testing is key
May 1, 2024 Dubai Driving Growth Dubai wants to be a top 10 games industry hub by 2033 UAE hopes to create a $1 billion games sector over the next 10 years
May 1, 2024 Dubai Gameexpo Summit Dubai GameExpo Summit powered by PG Connects begins today featuring GameFounders, iDreamSky, Ubisoft, Tencent and more! Conference takes place from May 1st to 2nd
April 30, 2024 Interview ESL FACEIT and Qiddiya Gaming discuss establishing gaming district in the KSA amidst MENA growth "We’re not afraid to imagine the future and we’re willing to take risks to be the best in the world"
April 30, 2024 Mobile Mavens Mobile Mavens: What's the state of play for the MENA region? Our Mavens share their thoughts on MENA market opportunities and offer advice for those doing business in the region
April 29, 2024 Interview Nifty Craft founder Vince Ghossoub on making a card battler MMO and growth in the MENA region "Nifty Craft utilises state of the art technology and is innovating in-game design, what more can I ask for"
April 26, 2024 Mena Investment Maysalward, Tamatem and Nifty Craft CEOs on Savvy Games Group's KSA and MENA investment A trio of MENA's prime movers believe that investment can drive innovation “by working together, sharing resources, and leveraging each other's strengths."
April 25, 2024 Mena Month "Gaming in MENA is just starting. Investment will bring more attention to the region and create more opportunities" Tamatem Games' CEO Hussam Hammo explains the state of play for MENA and how the region is set to surge ahead
April 24, 2024 Gameexpo Summit The amazing companies you could meet at next week's Dubai GameExpo Summit! Network with 1,000+ games industry professionals in MENA this May 1st and 2nd
April 24, 2024 Gameexpo Summit Dubai GameExpo Summit 2024 10-track conference schedule revealed! Everything from AI to Web3... and MENA's unrivalled growth
April 23, 2024 Global Events The Esports Future Summit in Jordan gets set to impress As part of a week of gaming events for Jordan's 2024 Gaming Summit, this weekend's conclusion squarely places Jordan as the epicentre of esports
April 23, 2024 Mena Games Awards 2024 Pocket Gamer MENA Games Industry Awards 2024 finalists revealed Winners will be revealed on Thursday, May 2nd, during the Dubai GameExpo Summit 2024
April 22, 2024 Embracer Break-up Savvy Games Group “fully supportive” of Embracer Group management over break-up plan Saudi Arabia publisher was reportedly behind the failed $2 billion investment deal that led to company's current crisis
April 18, 2024 Esports World Cup Saudi Arabia's esports world cup's has the largest prize pool ever with $60m up for grabs The EWC features a diverse lineup of 19 games, including popular titles such as Apex Legends, Fortnite, and League of Legends
April 18, 2024 Interview “The MENA region is definitely a focus for Kwalee and we want to build more partnerships there” Kwalee’s Sayeed Rahman discusses what the team looks for in its partnerships, expansion into the MENA region and the trends and challenges facing the mobile games industry
April 17, 2024 Mobile App Trends Ramadan sparks rise in Middle East mobile app downloads and purchases Financial apps saw a 39% increase in conversions, food delivery apps experienced a 169% spike in NOIs, while eCommerce apps showed a solid 27% growth
April 15, 2024 Gameexpo Summit Mid-term discounts end Thursday for Dubai GameExpo Summit Join the global games industry in Dubai this May 1st and 2nd - tickets reach full price this week
April 15, 2024 Debut Game Savvy Games Group's Steer Studios soft launches debut game Grunt Rush Strategy title listed on India's Google Play store
April 12, 2024 Interview "The continent is shattering stereotypes about 'emerging' markets. The African gaming market has already emerged" African gaming is real and Carry1st growth lead Spencer Ma reckons they've "only scratched the surface of its vast potential"
April 11, 2024 Educating Through Games How On the Edge is using mobile games to tell real-life stories We spoke with On the Edge’s Brera Razzaq about using mobile gaming as a platform to highlight the battles of endangered species
April 10, 2024 Web Shop Wisdom Xsolla’s Andrey Kalugin talks web shops tips to get users out of mobile "jail" Speaking at the Dubai GameExpo Summit 2023 powered by PG Connects, Andrey Kalugin suggested that devs should tailor their discounts since "whales don’t want to save money"
April 8, 2024 Jobs In Games Sandsoft's internship program produces two new full-time hires “At Sandsoft, we're committed to building a diverse team with 29% of our workforce being female, above the industry average," said VP head of studio Yahsir Qureshi
April 8, 2024 Mena Market Maysalward partners with Choose Kind Jo for game design challenge to promote mental health Winners will receive a $700 prize and a publishing deal with Maysalward and Choose Kind Jo
April 8, 2024 Mena Region MENA developers impress at Game Zanga (Special Edition) - see results "Game Zanga has been a beacon of inspiration and motivation for game makers in the Arabic region"
April 6, 2024 Podcast | Episode 06 Breaking down the Sensor Tower interview and 10 years of Monument Valley | Week in Mobile Games podcast The PocketGamer.biz team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode 06…
April 4, 2024 Mena Month Maysalward CEO Nour Khrais: "The Middle East games industry holds immense potential for innovation and investment" "We have embraced the concept of globalisation, where we look globally with our product and act locally, from game design to development"
April 3, 2024 Esports World Cup Riot Games backs Esports World Cup in Riyadh with new LoL and TFT teams But as the EWC isn't an official LoL Esports competition Riot will not involved in production or team selection
April 2, 2024 Market Insights MENA games market continues to outpace global growth as it surpasses $7 billion in revenue Get to know the MENA market ahead of the Dubai GameExpo Summit 2024, coming up on May 1st and 2nd
April 2, 2024 Mena Month It’s MENA Month on PocketGamer.biz We'll be highlighting the exciting teams, projects and major news from the region
March 29, 2024 Podcast | Episode 05 GDC Roundup, EU calls out Apple, and lots of MENA news | Week in Mobile Games podcast The PocketGamer.biz podcast team give you the state of play every week. Here's where to get it and and what's inside this week's episode 05…
March 27, 2024 Mena Market Growth Sandsoft and NetEase establish joint venture Stellar Gate Games to publish games in MENA The new venture will support companies with publishing, marketing, live ops and esports activities in the region
March 26, 2024 Dubai Gamexpo Summit 2023 Super Evil Megacorp’s Taewon Yun: "Gen AI is like a goldmine surrounded by a minefield" Super Evil Megacorp chief business officer Taewon Yun’s talk at Dubai GameExpo Summit 2023 powered by PG Connects focused around AI and Web3