Africa Is Mobile
Africa's video games market projected to rise from $2.14 billion to $3.72 billion by 2029
Mobile penetration in Sub-Saharan Africa is set to reach 50% by 2030, with an expected 475 million connections by 2025
Gamathon Takeaways
5 takeaways from Gamathon 24: Africa's youthful game makers shine, big tech takes notice, but monetisation struggles persist
The six day event highlighted the games industry in Africa through video game showcases and insightful panel sessions
Industry Spotlight
Jobs in Games: Carry1st's Spencer Ma on how to get a career in games growth
In our Jobs in Games series we highlight the talented team members currently working in the games industry
Games In Africa
Gamathon 24 begins with exclusive launch for game developers and industry delegates
The press conference paved a clear roadmap for what attendees can expect throughout the week
Interview
"Africa is overlooked due to misconceptions about the purchasing power in the region"
Lanterns Studios CEO Jihed Jaouabi discusses leveraging motion capture technology, expanding beyond the MENA region and funding challenges
Esports In Mena
Diagnal and Intigral partner to elevate esports in the MENA region
The collaboration will support the company's aim of enhancing entertainment in the MENA region
Funding News
EdVentures invests in Egyptian education and interactive games startup Saikoro
VC arm provides funding to eight Egyptian startups as it seeks to support country's education system
Industry Spotlight
Jobs in Games: Chickmania’s Jamil Alsakran on how to get a career in QA
In our Jobs in Games series, we highlight the talented team members currently working in the games industry
Esports In Mena
Emirates Esports Federation and ITW Universe to launch new esports league
This new league will debut in March 2025 as part of an effort to transform competitive gaming in MENA
Interview
Boss Bunny Games COO Hammam Alahmadi talks upcoming mobile games and the endless opportunities in the MENA region
"Players in the region have a refined taste, with only well-developed games gaining popularity"
Milestone
Electric Blue: Gecko Dash mobile game surpasses 500,000 downloads
The game was created to stop endangered gecko species from going extinct in Tanzania
Industry Spotlight
Jobs in Games: Sandsoft's Mohammad AL Khatatbeh on how to become a senior game developer
In our Jobs in Games series, we highlight the talented team members currently working in the games industry
New Partnerships
Hyperfusion partners with The Game Company to power cloud gaming in MENA and GCC
Both companies are focused on giving players a “near-lag-free" gaming experience
Esports Growth
Gosu Academy expands into the UAE to fuel esports growth
Esports coaching and education provider's existing presence in the Middle East will support the UAE's growing games community
Mena Insight
"Awareness remains one of the biggest challenges in the MENA region"
Classy Games Studios founder Jamie McClenaghan discusses building a team in the UAE and the challenges of operating in an emerging games hub
Mena Region
Saudi Arabia's PIF to transfer gaming Stocks to Savvy Games Group
The PIF will remain a collaborative partner once the transfer is completed
Going Mobile
Behind the scenes: Bringing one of Africa’s oldest board games to life on mobile
MENA industry insider Stephen Sandmann discusses the development of Mancala Adventures with the Carry1st team
Mena Growth
"Our focus on AI ensures we deliver the best possible experiences in our games"
YallaPlay CEO and founder Kareem Seddik talks localisation, leveraging AI in games and the company's focus on real-time multiplayer titles
Mena Insight
“Hitseeker is a platform that enables Kwalee to publish games with minimal human involvement"
Kwalee's lead technical product manager Waqas Khan on the new Arabic-edition of Hitseeker and its potential to boost the MENA games industry
Podcast | Episode 27
Savvy's MENA investment and Finnish dev Lightneer closes | 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 27...
Mena Market
MENA market hits 7.9 billion downloads and $1.78 billion revenue in H1 2024
PUBG Mobile dominates games downloads and leads in revenue alongside Roblox and Subway Surfers
Mena Means Business
Savvy Games Group strikes key deals to power MENA industry growth
As string of partnerships and investments this week are focused on building the Middle East into a gaming powerhouse
Mena Insight
"The key to infiltrating a market is being able to understand it"
Tafra Games CEO and founder Ziad Elgabaly discusses PC and console expansion, upcoming mobile games and the MENA funding landscape
Mena Region
Maysalward partners with NEOM for second annual Game Dev challenge
The second edition will kick off later this year in Riyadh to be followed with a round in Jeddah for the first time
Mena Insight
"Our focus is undoubtedly on the Middle East market where we have unique advantages"
Yalla Group president Saifi Ismail on Yalla Ludo's success, MENA games industry growth, localisation challenges and upcoming games
New Partnerships
Xsolla partners with Savvy Games Group to grow the MENA games industry
Xsolla will establish a regional headquarters in Riyadh to help MENA developers and publishers grow their games
Mena Region
Savvy Games Group signs Memorandum of Understanding with Niantic for MENA expansion
Savvy will help Niantic establish its regional operations in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt
Recruitment Drive
Savvy Games Group plots 600 new games industry jobs in Saudi Arabia
State-backed company opens up on strategy to grow local ecosystem and its global investments
Mena Market Growth
Sony launches MENA Hero Project incubator program for game developers
Sony is also focused on lowering the barrier of entry for local developers in the MENA region
Interview
"When you know Africa and its history it's easy to make a game that will speak to the whole continent"
Masseka Games founder Teddy Kossoko on telling African stories through games and overcoming growth challenges in the region
New Mobile Studio
Industry Veteran Mohamed El Sheakh launches new MENA mobile company, Games Ventures
The company aims to “build profitable mobile games from the Middle East, for the Middle East and the world"
Interview
"Africa is on track to become a top three market globally for mobile games"
Pan African Gaming Group chairman Jay Shapiro on building a network of game developers and sharing Africa's rich history of stories through games.
Developer Tools
Kwalee launches Arabic mobile game publishing platform for MENA developers
Kwalee's Hitseeker will now support Arabic-speaking developers with the tools and resources they need to create games
Mena Market
Saudi Arabia and UAE to propel Gulf region games spending to $3.24 billion by 2028
The KSA alone represented 49.5% of the gulf total revenue and 61.7% of its gamers in 2023
Esports World Cup
ESL FACEIT signs multi-year deal as official partner of the Esports World Cup
The ESL FACEIT Group will manage tournament operations and broadcast programming
Interview
"Jordan's talent pool offers significant potential for growth and innovation"
Chickmania Entertainment head of studio Mustafa Swiedan discusses the company's new initiatives, cross-platform aspirations and MENA challenges
Interview
"Cross-platform games are the future of gaming"
Mad Hook Games CEO and co-founder Hazim Al-Hanbali discusses shifting mobile game mechanics and the challenges of finding talent
Mena Workshops
Maysalward hosts Minecraft Education training workshop for teachers
The workshop trains teachers to integrate Minecraft Education into their classrooms
Mena Market Growth
Saudi Arabia leads MENA in VC investments and games market growth in 2024
With 21 million active gamers, the KSA is MENA's largest games market to be valued at $6 billion come 2027
Interview
"Navigating the MENA region's funding landscape specifically in Saudi Arabia has been quite promising"
Starvania Studio CEO and co-founder Meaad Aflah discusses her studio's latest project and the opportunities and challenges facing Saudi Arabia's games industry
Mena Trends
The trends and opportunities that are shaping Turkey's app market
Adjust’s Ender Özcan discusses what's new and what's driving growth in the MENA region
Ecosystem Expansion
Dubai is confirmed as Games of the Future host in 2025
Qualifiers are underway via the World Phygital Community’s Phygital Games 2024/25 tournament
Esports Growth
Olympic Esports Games set to commence in 2025
Saudi Arabia will host the first edition next year
Interview
"It is crucial that investors recognise the importance of investing in and believing in the local industry"
Raheebeen Studios founder Ahmed Alshaikh talks about the funding opportunities and efforts to support local developers in the KSA
Interview
"The golden opportunity in Egypt is its talent pool"
2024 Studios co-founder Ahmed Najeeb discusses what his studio is up to and the opportunities and challenges facing Egypt's games industry
Interview
Naphora Games Group co-founder on incubating developers and why the next generation will focus on smaller teams
"The games market is rapidly changing, with many unpredictable trends, making long-term projects riskier and more costly"
Esports On The Rise
Saudi Arabia set to host first Olympic Esports Games
The proposed partnership will span 12 years, with Olympic Esports Games held regularly in events everafter
Mena Insight
"To get to any audience you have to be aware of their cultures and Africa is a place of many ancient cultures"
AN Games founder Ahmed Fawzy on the company's work within MENA, new initiatives and future plans
Interview
Babil Games' CEO Ghina Al-Sharif on leading the company, effective localisation and MENA challenges
We talk emerging technologies, such as AI, and the importance of maintaining a company culture
Interview
"As an industry, we need a success story - a studio that achieves a major hit that captures widespread attention"
FitNot Games founder Abdallah Elshabrawy on the African games market and the region's latent potential