Mena Month
MENA Month begins on PocketGamer.biz
We'll be highlighting the exciting teams, investment opportunities and major news from the region
Marvellous Mena
Lobah on raising $12m and the opportunity for culturalised games in MENA
We talk with Lobah head of product and partnerships Ibrahim El Kawam fresh on the back of the studio's big-money investment
Marvellous Mena
Sandsoft's CEO on the publisher's hybridcasual evolution and global expansion
David Fernandez Remesal discusses the publisher's journey throughout the past year and its plans for 2025
Marvellous Mena
"The most accessible platform to reach South Africans is mobile"
Pineapple on Pizza CEO Kushal Jeethendra Sithlu discusses upcoming mobile titles, localisation efforts and funding challenges
Celebratory Strike
NetEase’s Blood Strike surpasses 60m mobile installs and $22.9m in time for first anniversary
The US has proven Blood Strike’s most lucrative mobile market in year one, despite accounting for just 7% of downloads
Acquisition Accomplished
Scopely acquires Pokémon Go developer Niantic's games business in $3.5bn deal
Blockbuster deal brings the multi-billion-dollar hit mobile game under the Savvy Games Group umbrella
Funding News
Saudi Arabia's Lobah Game Studio secures $12 million investment
Company will use the funds to accelerate development of its upcoming games
New Offerings
Sandsoft plots hybridcasual expansion with three new game deals
Publisher said that it has “several more" games in testing and are scheduled to release in the coming months
Marvellous Mena
“We aim to merge games with Africa’s finest tunes and rhythms''
Weza Interactive Entertainment CEO and co-founder Odongo George Ahere discusses mobile rhythm game Riziki, funding challenges and tapping into the African market
Mena Region
Saudi Social Development Bank backs esports and game development with $122m
The expanded financing portfolio has supported over 30 clients across esports, game development and publishing
Investment News
Good Job Games Secures investment from Menlo Ventures
The investment raises Good Job Games’ valuation to over $100 million
Mena Guide
Seven reasons why you can't ignore the MENA market
Discover why the MENA region is becoming a global hotspot for business growth in the games industry
Mena Games Awards
Nominations open for the MENA Games Industry Awards 2025
Come celebrate the developers, publishers, investors, and leaders who are driving MENA's growing games market
Week That Was
Who will buy AppLovin's games studios, Olympics esports delayed, and DeNA's profits surge | Week in Views
The Pocketgamer.biz team pick their highlights from the headlines this week and deliver the stories behind the stories
Esports In Mena
Emirates Esports Federation opens bidding for E Gaming League franchises
The league's owners see it as an opportunity to establish the UAE as a hub for digital entertainment and economic growth
New Partnerships
Merak Capital partners with Huawei Cloud to boost Saudi Arabia’s games industry
The partnership will provide gaming startups with workshops on cloud-native game development
Investment News
Spoilz secures strategic investment to launch new IPs
The studio said it will form new partnerships, uplift local talent, and improve monetisation
New Partnerships
Merak Capital and Microsoft team up to support gaming startups in Saudi Arabia
The partnership builds on Merak Capital's $80 million gaming fund
Mena Expansion
Roblox rolls out Arabic language support
The UGC platform has seen daily active users grow by an average of 80% across five MENA countries
Esports In Mena
Savvy Games Group and HP sign MoU to help Saudi Arabia learners get careers in gaming and esports
Saudi games and esports group said it will also provide skill-building opportunities through incubator programs
New Partnerships
Savvy Games Group and Merak Capital partner to boost Saudi Arabia’s games ecosystem
The partnership builds on Merak Capital's $80 million gaming fund to support the Kingdom's esports sector
Marvellous Mena
"Mobile web-based gaming is set to play a significant role in our future"
Sea Monster Entertainment CEO and co-founder Glenn Gillis discusses impact games, EdTech in Africa, funding challenges and building a climate resilience game
Esports In Mena
Olympic Esports Games in Saudi Arabia delayed to 2027
The IOC did not provide a reason for the delay, but confirmed that qualification will begin this year
Jordan Investments
Jordan eyes significant investment to grow local games and tech sectors
Speakers at the online event Expanding Horizons: Doing Business in Jordan discussed establishing private businesses in Jordan, employment law and more
Africa Mobile Market
Mobile leads the charge in Africa’s $1.8 billion games market
The continent added an estimated 32m new gamers in 2024, bringing the total to 349m, up from 317m in 2023
Esports Integrity
Olympic Esports Games 2025 in Saudi Arabia delayed
Concerns have been raised about the tight 2025 timeline, uncertainties over game titles, venues, dates, and qualification methods
Marvellous Mena
Games Majlis unites experts to transform Middle East mobile games industry
The initiative is led by industry veteran Mohamed El Sheakh alongside 20 founding members
Funding For Games
Exel by Merak gaming accelerator is now accepting applications for first cohort
The program includes a two-week virtual boot camp and a 16-week acceleration phase
New Partnerships
Carry1st partners with Stellar Gate Games to boost Blood Strike MENA with new payment solutions
Steller Gate Games was formed by Sandsoft and NetEase in March 2024
Africa Is Mobile
Mobile growth drives Africa’s games industry to $1 billion in revenue
Candy Crush and PUBG Mobile lead Africa’s mobile games revenue with $50m and $40m, respectively
New Office
Audiomob opens MENA headquarters in Abu Dhabi
The new office is located on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates
Marvellous Mena
"Our ultimate goal is to make web gaming seamless, scalable, and more accessible for developers worldwide"
Playgama founder Dmitry Kachmar talks funding, HTML5 popularity, influx of investment in the MENA region and more
Best Of 2024
Isa Muhammad's top stories of 2024: Nazara's $100m M&A push, Gamathon 24, MENA's gaming boom, and China's license rebound
PocketGamer.biz MENA reporter Isa Muhammad highlights some of the top stories of 2024
New Partnerships
NEOM Media partners with Kwalee, Sandsoft, Tamatem and others to launch games publishing network
This is part of its Level Up accelerator program to bolster the gaming ecosystem in Saudi Arabia
Jobs In Games
Jobs in Games: Kayfo's Doumgou Tibiang Yeshua on how to get a career as a developer
In this series, we highlight the talented team members working in the games industry and how they got their break
Mena Market
EsportsXO partners with Abu Dhabi Gaming to open regional headquarters in the MENA region
The partnership is expected to create new job opportunities over the next five years
Funding For Games
Beam Ventures launches in Abu Dhabi with $150m fund to support game studios
The firm will also launch an accelerator program that focuses on early-stage web3 gaming and AI start-ups
Jobs In Games
Jobs in Games: Rababa Games' Mohammad Al-Aghar Rawashdeh on how to get a career as an environment artist
In this series, we highlight the talented team members working in the games industry and how they got their break
Mena Market
UAE leads MENA start-up investments in November with $146m across 11 deals
Saudi Arabia followed with 23 startups raising $94 million
Jobs In Games
Jobs in Games: Usiku Games' Rolex Oduor on how to get a career as a sound designer
In this series, we highlight the talented team members working in the games industry and how they got their break
Marvellous Mena
"Cultural authenticity is at the core of our design process"
Chroma Pixel CEO and founder Edwin Kapesa discusses the company’s shift away from traditional storefronts and game-based learning programmes
Accelerator Program
Bahrain's Riyada Business Accelerator Program is now accepting applications for tech start-ups
The program is offering entrepreneurs six months of guidance and support with funding opportunities
New Studio
Monopoly Go developer Scopely opens new studio in Saudi Arabia
The new division, called Mirai, is led by industry veteran Charity Joy
African Esports
Behind the scenes of the Carry1st Africa Cup: A bold new chapter for African esports
MENA insider Stephen Sandmann speaks with Carry1st community manager Oluwaseun Aladelo on the growing competitive gaming scene in Africa
Industry Spotlight
Jobs in Games: Game Hub Senegal's Marie Pierre Thiam on how to get a career as a game designer
In this series, we highlight the talented team members working in the games industry and how they got their break
Funding For Games
Merak Capital launches $80 million fund to support MENA games start-ups
The accelerator consists of a brief virtual bootcamp, followed by a 14 to 16 week core program
Jobs In Games
Jobs in Games: Dash Studios' James Ohia on how to get a career as a chief technology officer
In this series, we highlight the talented team members working in the games industry and how they got their break
Mena Market
MENA start-up investments decline 52% to $134 million in October
UAE start-ups raised $61.8m across 15 deals, while Saudi Arabia-based start-ups secured $50m from over 21 deals
Universal Appeal
Why the universal language of games means you don't have to rely on localisation
Angry Birds, Tetris and Candy Crush Saga are examples of gameplay attracting global appeal, says YallaPlay CEO Kareem Seddik
Mena's Rising Star
How government investment is fueling rapid growth in the MENA region
The fast-growing market is levelling up its gaming ecosystems and development talent