The UAE’s average revenue per gamer in 2025 was $90, one of the highest in the world and ahead of Saudi Arabia’s $60. To put those figures into perspective, Japan’s was nearly $11 and South Korea’s was just over $30.
Across the Gulf, high incomes, young populations, government support for the sector, and widespread internet access are fueling the rise in gaming, AGBI reported. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt had a gaming market worth a combined $2 billion in 2024, and that is expected to rise to $2.8 billion in 2029.
In Saudi Arabia in particular — a nation led by self-proclaimed “gamer” Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman — government-backed investments are driving growth in the sector. Public Investment Fund’s Savvy Games Group is currently pursuing a majority stake in EA games, the studio behind FIFA and Grand Theft Auto; it already owns Scopely, the company behind Pokémon Go.