The MENA region has emerged as one of the fastest growing mobile gaming markets in the world. With a young, tech-savvy population and increasing smartphone penetration, mobile gaming is not just a source of entertainment but a critical channel for brand engagement.
According to Newzoos’ Global Games Market Report 2024, the global gaming market is currently valued at $187 billion in 2024, with mobile gaming contributing around 50 per cent of that total.
Whilst the biggest and most established markets globally are the US and China, the biggest growth is coming from emerging markets in the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. The MENA region grew by 8.9 per cent in 2024 which was the largest year-on-year growth globally.
With the global gaming market expected to reach $213 Billion by 2027, there is a huge opportunity for brands to tap into this growing market in new and exciting ways over the next few years.
Penetrate the market through mobile game marketing
When it comes to the MENA region specifically, there has been significant growth in the games market, according to Statista – Mobile Games MENA 2024.
Whilst it is often cited that the MENA region has a young, affluent and tech-savvy population that is big on social media as well as a high smartphone penetration; what is often not discussed is why big global brands are not as willing to take creative risks as they might in other markets such as North America, Europe or Asia-Pacific.
This unwillingness to try new things and test new platforms is a missed opportunity, especially as mobile gaming is only going to grow in the coming years.
Brands spend significant marketing budgets to run digital display campaigns programmatically, often targeting generic news and entertainment publishers. However, the same brands are often hesitant to take the same approach with gaming. This is especially important as we are seeing an increased development of culturally relevant gaming content that caters specifically to Arab culture.
Mobile gaming advertising is a multi-channel strategy
It is important to understand that mobile game ads are not just stand-alone marketing efforts as they often form part of a larger, multi-channel strategy.
Brands can use in-game ads to direct players to their social media pages or e-commerce sites, helping to drive traffic and conversions across multiple platforms. This kind of cross-channel integration strengthens brand visibility and deepens consumer engagement, as users encounter the brand in different contexts throughout their journey.
One of the strengths of mobile game ads is the ability to leverage programmatic buying and advanced targeting, which means that brands can precisely target different segments based on behaviour, location, or even in-game actions. Just as they currently do with their existing digital display campaigns.
The success rate of in-game advertising
Mobile gamers in the region are spending an ever increasing amount of time playing games, with longer sessions often recorded in MENA than in other parts of the world. For brands, this level of sustained attention is crucial.
One of the reasons mobile game ads are so effective is because of their ability to integrate seamlessly into the gaming experience. This is also further evidenced by the fact that in some cases, CTR’s associated with gaming are reaching up to 10 per cent, which is notably higher than what can be achieved with digital display.
Another area of gaming that is showing major growth is e-sports, which according to Deloitte Gaming and e-Sports in KSA 2023, is a subset of gaming that is defined as playing video games competitivley, or for spectators, by professional gamers where they can compete for prize money.
Whilst the concept of watching other people playing games may sound odd, it actually forms part of Saudi Arabia’s Vison 2030 economic diversification efforts, and is therefore a major focus of government investment. This presents brands with even more oppourtunities to tap into the gaming and e-sports space in the coming years.
As mobile gaming grows to become one of the most interesting advertising platforms in MENA, brands that invest in mobile game ads now will be well-positioned to build lasting connections with a young, diverse, and highly engaged audience.
By focusing on culturally relevant content, and testing new innovative ad formats and platforms, as well as leveraging the power of real-time data, brands can unlock the full potential of mobile game advertising in this booming market.
By Tom Martin, Senior Sales Manager at Yazle
