MENA’s games industry and global leaders forge trailblazing connections at Pocket Gamer Connects Aqaba

• MENA’s momentum was on full display, with 2,400 delegates from over 20 countries gathering in Aqaba for Pocket Gamer Connects.
• Aqaba’s strategic position and tech focus reinforced Jordan’s role as a key link between Asia, Africa, and Europe’s games markets.
• Over 300 companies, from global heavyweights to homegrown studios, reflected the region’s fast-growing ecosystem and the strength driving MENA’s rise on the world stage.

MENA’s growing momentum as a global games hub was highlighted yet again as Pocket Gamer Connects gathered the region’s foremost games industry delegates with global experts for two busy conference days at the Arab Revolt Plaza and historic Aqaba Fort.

On November 8th and 9th, over 2,400 delegates, 300 companies, and 50 speakers from over 20 countries met to gain key insight, build connections and share ideas across the mobile, PC, console, and XR game sectors.

Aqaba, sitting as a strategic cog between Asia, Africa and Europe, is not only historically significant, but its technological advancements position the city as a corporate gateway into Jordan and the wider MENA region. Now the world’s fastest growing games market, MENA continues to outpace global growth, with projections suggesting a significant uptick in the coming years. 

Indeed, the over 300 companies present at the event demonstrate this accelerating momentum. The diverse lineup of bigger and smaller studios, from international breakout names like Maysalward and Mad Hook, to global hitters like Xsolla and Xbox, and local stars including Tamatem and Chickmania, contribute to the strength of MENA’s game ecosystem and the reason it can’t be ignored.

Connecting local communities to international thought leaders, PG Connects Aqaba served as a powerful bridge linking Jordan’s domestic and MENA’s regional markets with global industry professionals, facilitating cross-sector relations, collaborations and innovations driving the wider industry forward. 

Nine top-quality content tracks

Over 50 leading industry figures shared invaluable insights from the stage - the kind of practical knowledge not found in generic power points. The sessions covered global market shifts, innovative monetisation models, hands-on production strategies, and more. Crucially, the speakers moved beyond mere trend analysis, providing studios with actionable strategies necessary to maintain a competitive edge in the current market.

Highlights included the ID@Xbox-led Xbox Discovery Day, which offered creators direct guidance on how to launch their games to a massive audience on the Xbox platform. Equally compelling was the Marvellous MENA track, which provided an in-depth look at one of the world's fastest-growing games markets, sharing the key data, opportunities, and realities behind the region's increasing prominence.

Steel Media CEO Chris James commented: “The first ever Pocket Gamer Connects Aqaba was a truly energising and humbling event. We literally took over a national monument, bringing together over 2,400 people for two days of sharing their ideas, ambitions and general love for games.”

“The incredibly talented Jordanian games community buzzed relentlessly around the indie booths, leading to our biggest ever Audience Choice vote, pitched their hearts out to showcase some great upcoming titles, listened attentively to feedback, cheered on their colleagues and showed such gratitude, humility and enthusiasm for our efforts to support and celebrate it.”

“Suffice to say, all of this positivity is pretty infectious. At a time when some parts of the industry seem intent on mainly focusing on the problems, here it felt more about opportunity.”

“It's certainly filled me with a renewed vigour to hit 2026 hard and fast at PGC London!”

A young, dynamic and promising sector

In terms of event attendees, it’s clear that the advantage of MENA’s games industry is innovation and diversity - with an encouraging representation from indie developers and students serving as evidence of the region’s strong institutional support for its future game and tech sectors. 

“We know a special games ecosystem when we see one and there is definitely something special going on in Jordan. There's a strong wave of young talent, which has been honed over decades by a technology-focused education system and initiatives like the App Challenge and The Gaming Lab Jordan, all supported by the King Abdullah II Fund,” said James.

Conversations were a vibrant mix of growth strategies and forward-looking trends. The Games Business Masterclass cut straight to what emerging talent actually needs: real-world guidance on carving out a market position, spotting a viable niche, and building a sustainable go-to-market strategy. Led by industry specialists from The Ziska Company, the workshop delivered hard-earned insights, candid feedback, and frameworks that helped professionals think - and operate - like future studio leaders. With limited seats and direct access to experts, it offered a fast-track into the business backbone of the games industry.

Meanwhile, the Big Indie Zone was alive with creativity, and as always, a popular hub for independent developers showing off their latest demos and ideas. Of course, the ever popular Audience Choice Award kept the energy high, with guests rallying behind their favourite titles and championing the indie community.

Developers also had an opportunity to connect directly with publishers through curated Connector SpeedMatch sessions. At the same time, the Very Big Indie Pitch was a celebration of the diversity of MENA’s indie game development scene. Uniting mobile, PC, and console creators in a fiercely fun competition, developers were all given a few minutes to sell their vision to an expert judging panel that assessed and judged each contribution. 

The final winners were:

• 1st place: Couch Party! by Hani AlKarrain

• 2nd place: A Heavy Morning by Saf Interactive

• 3rd place: Kazumi by Kazumi

In terms of the Big Indie Zone Audience Choice Award, it was our biggest one so far, breaking a record for the total number of votes at a Pocket Gamer Connects conference. In the end, HyperStride turned out to be the favourite, capturing the crowd’s attention.

Top 30 MENA Game Makers

Continuing in the competitive spirit, the Top 30 MENA Game Makers awards returned for 2025, celebrating the passion, dedication and creativity driving MENA’s game makers. After months of our expert PocketGamer.biz panel reviewing nominations from the industry itself, the top 30 studios making it to the prestigious list were revealed in a live ceremony on conference day 2, Sunday, November 9th. 

Among the 30 studios, Savvy Games Group landed the number one spot, showcasing the company’s increasing momentum. In addition to the recent acquisition of Pokémon Go developer Niantic, Savvy’s growing impact across MENA is evident in the new Riyadh headquarters opening and the company signing various partnerships supporting the Saudi esports and game sectors.

Find out what other companies made it to the Top 30 MENA Game Makers 2025. 

Looking ahead

Concluding what has been a groundbreaking year - launching a brand new summit series among local ecosystems while entering new locations and venturing beyond pure game markets - Pocket Gamer Connects is now entirely committed to 2026 and beyond. Fuelled by the unique energy every one of the events generates, the global games conference series is heading to London for its biggest flagship event ever. 

Kicking off the 2026 events tour, PG Connects London takes place on January 19th–20th. With over 3,000 delegates, 950 companies, 25% extended meeting space across two iconic venues, two major partner summits, multiple key fringe events and unlimited organic networking opportunities, it’s the one must-stop event for any games industry professional looking to hit real impact and results in the new year.

Secure your PGC London ticket today.