With its gaming industry soaring to a USD 1.47 billion valuation in 2023 and tapping on the screens of 78% of the population, the UAE has rapidly emerged as a vibrant and lucrative epicenter for digital entertainment.
Key Takeaways
- The UAE gaming market reached a value of USD 1.47 billion in 2023, driven primarily by mobile gaming contributions.
- Gaming revenue in the UAE grew by 12.4% year-over-year from 2022 to 2023, totaling USD 1.47 billion.
- In-app purchases accounted for 52% of total UAE gaming revenue in 2023, amounting to approximately USD 765 million.
- UAE gamers numbered 7.8 million in 2023, representing 78% internet penetration.
- 52% of UAE gamers are aged 18-34 years, comprising the largest demographic segment in 2023.
- Females make up 48% of the UAE gaming population in 2023, up from 42% in 2020.
- Mobile gaming penetration in UAE hit 92% among internet users in 2023.
- 4.5 million UAE users played mobile games monthly in 2023.
- Android holds 68% market share in UAE mobile gaming in 2023.
- PUBG Mobile was the top downloaded game in UAE with 12 million installs in 2023.
- Battle Royale genre captured 35% of UAE gaming hours in 2023.
- Free Fire dominated UAE mobile esports with 8.5 million active players in 2023.
- UAE gaming market expected to grow at 11.5% CAGR to USD 2.5 billion by 2028.
- Mobile gaming revenue forecasted to hit USD 1.4 billion in UAE by 2027.
- Esports audience in UAE projected to reach 3.5 million by 2025.
The UAE's thriving gaming industry is growing rapidly thanks to mobile dominance.
Demographics
- UAE gamers numbered 7.8 million in 2023, representing 78% internet penetration.
- 52% of UAE gamers are aged 18-34 years, comprising the largest demographic segment in 2023.
- Females make up 48% of the UAE gaming population in 2023, up from 42% in 2020.
- 65% of UAE gamers are Emirati nationals or GCC residents as of 2023.
- Average time spent gaming per day by UAE users is 1.8 hours in 2023.
- 72% of UAE gamers are urban dwellers, concentrated in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
- Gen Z (under 25) accounts for 35% of UAE gamers, totaling 2.7 million users in 2023.
- 41% of UAE parents game with their children weekly, per 2023 surveys.
- Expatriates form 55% of UAE's gaming community, with Indians and Filipinos leading.
- 68% of UAE gamers have college education or higher in 2023.
- Household gaming penetration in UAE reached 82% in 2023.
- 29% of UAE seniors (over 55) engage in casual gaming in 2023.
- UAE gamers spend average USD 120 annually on games in 2023.
- 76% of UAE gamers are full-time employed adults.
- Mobile gamers in UAE average 2.1 devices per user in 2023.
- 55% of UAE gamers aged 25-34, the prime working demographic in 2023.
- 62% of UAE female gamers play on mobile devices exclusively in 2023.
- Average UAE gamer age is 27 years old in 2023 surveys.
- 81% of UAE gamers access internet via high-speed broadband.
- UAE student gamers (13-17) number 1.1 million in 2023.
- 47% of UAE gamers identify as hardcore players in 2023.
- High-income households (>AED 20k/month) represent 60% of gamers.
- 34% of UAE gamers play multiplayer daily in 2023.
- Gaming literacy rate among UAE youth is 95% in 2023.
- 2.3 million UAE gamers use social media for gaming communities.
Demographics Interpretation
The UAE's gaming scene is a surprisingly mature, urban, and well-educated arena, where nearly everyone plays—from competitive young professionals on their lunch breaks to gaming grandmas and parents bonding with kids over controllers—proving it's far from just a child's hobby.
Genres and Titles
- PUBG Mobile was the top downloaded game in UAE with 12 million installs in 2023.
- Battle Royale genre captured 35% of UAE gaming hours in 2023.
- Free Fire dominated UAE mobile esports with 8.5 million active players in 2023.
- FIFA series generated USD 45 million in UAE sales in 2023.
- RPGs like Genshin Impact had 3.2 million MAU in UAE 2023.
- Casual games accounted for 42% of UAE mobile downloads in 2023.
- Call of Duty Mobile peaked at 2.1 million concurrent users in UAE 2023.
- Strategy games grew 25% in popularity among UAE gamers in 2023.
- Roblox had 1.8 million UAE users creating 500k experiences in 2023.
- Candy Crush Saga retained 1.5 million DAU in UAE 2023.
- Sports genre represented 18% of UAE console playtime in 2023.
- Horror games like Dead by Daylight saw 450k downloads in UAE 2023.
- PUBG PC version had 1.2 million peak players in UAE 2023.
- Clash of Clans retained 900k DAU in UAE throughout 2023.
- Among Us peaked at 750k concurrent UAE players post-update 2023.
- EA Sports FC 24 sold 250k copies in UAE launch week 2023.
- Puzzle genre downloads surged 30% to 35 million in UAE 2023.
- Fortnite Creative mode used by 400k UAE creators in 2023.
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournaments drew 2.5M viewers in UAE 2023.
- Simulation games like The Sims Mobile had 600k MAU in UAE.
- Action genre dominates PC gaming with 28% share in UAE 2023.
- Brawl Stars global events engaged 1.1M UAE players in 2023.
Genres and Titles Interpretation
While the UAE's gaming scene shows a serious commitment to competitive esports and big-budget action titles, it's clear the nation's true pastime is a delightful paradox: fiercely battling for survival in PUBG one minute and patiently matching candies in Candy Crush the next.
Growth and Forecasts
- UAE gaming market expected to grow at 11.5% CAGR to USD 2.5 billion by 2028.
- Mobile gaming revenue forecasted to hit USD 1.4 billion in UAE by 2027.
- Esports audience in UAE projected to reach 3.5 million by 2025.
- PC gaming growth rate in UAE at 13% annually through 2027.
- UAE government plans to invest AED 1 billion in gaming by 2030.
- Gaming jobs in UAE expected to increase by 25,000 by 2027.
- Cloud gaming market in UAE to grow 40% YoY to 2027.
- VR gaming revenue projected at USD 120 million by 2026 in UAE.
- UAE gaming startups raised USD 200 million in VC funding in 2023.
- MENA gaming hub status to boost UAE exports by 30% by 2028.
- User-generated content platforms to double in UAE by 2025.
- 5G rollout to increase UAE gaming speeds by 50% by 2025.
- UAE console market forecasted to reach USD 350 million by 2027.
- Gaming tourism expected to attract 500k visitors annually by 2030.
- UAE esports prize pools totaled USD 15 million in 2023.
- Gaming accelerators in Dubai supported 50 startups in 2023.
- UAE to host 10 international gaming expos by 2027.
- Blockchain gaming investments in UAE hit USD 50 million 2023.
- Female esports participation up 35% to 25% in UAE 2023.
- UAE gaming universities enroll 5,000 students by 2025 projection.
- Metaverse gaming platforms to attract 2M UAE users by 2026.
- Tax incentives for gaming firms extended till 2031 in UAE.
- UAE-MENA gaming trade volume to reach USD 500M by 2028.
- AI in game development to cut costs 20% in UAE by 2027.
Growth and Forecasts Interpretation
The UAE is meticulously building its gaming empire, stacking billion-dollar investments and millions of players like a high-score leaderboard, poised to dominate the region not just in pixels and prize pools, but in economic power and cultural influence.
Market Size
- The UAE gaming market reached a value of USD 1.47 billion in 2023, driven primarily by mobile gaming contributions.
- Gaming revenue in the UAE grew by 12.4% year-over-year from 2022 to 2023, totaling USD 1.47 billion.
- In-app purchases accounted for 52% of total UAE gaming revenue in 2023, amounting to approximately USD 765 million.
- The UAE video games market size was valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.5%.
- Total gaming ad revenue in the UAE hit USD 180 million in 2023, up 18% from the previous year.
- UAE's gaming sector contributed 0.8% to the national GDP in 2023, equating to AED 5.4 billion.
- Mobile gaming generated USD 950 million in the UAE in 2023, representing 65% of total market revenue.
- PC gaming revenue in UAE stood at USD 320 million in 2023, with a 14% growth rate.
- Console gaming in UAE generated USD 200 million in revenue in 2023, boosted by PS5 sales.
- The UAE gaming market is expected to reach USD 2.1 billion by 2027, growing at 9.2% CAGR.
- Subscriptions and downloads made up 28% of UAE gaming revenue in 2023, totaling USD 412 million.
- UAE gaming exports to MENA region contributed USD 150 million in 2023.
- Retail sales of gaming hardware in UAE reached AED 2.8 billion in 2023.
- Online gaming platforms generated USD 450 million in UAE in 2023.
- Esports betting added USD 75 million to UAE gaming revenue in 2023.
- The UAE gaming market was valued at USD 1.3 billion in 2022 with 10% growth projected.
- In-game advertising revenue in UAE reached USD 95 million in 2023.
- Total downloads of games in UAE App Stores hit 150 million in 2023.
- UAE gaming hardware imports totaled AED 3.2 billion in 2023.
Market Size Interpretation
The UAE's gaming industry is building an empire not just on pixels and polygons, but on the very real economic might of millions of taps, with mobile gaming's staggering revenue proving that the most powerful console in the Emirates is likely already in your pocket.
Platforms
- Mobile gaming penetration in UAE hit 92% among internet users in 2023.
- 4.5 million UAE users played mobile games monthly in 2023.
- Android holds 68% market share in UAE mobile gaming in 2023.
- iOS gaming downloads in UAE grew 22% YoY to 45 million in 2023.
- PC gamers in UAE numbered 2.8 million in 2023, 36% of total gamers.
- Steam penetration among UAE PC gamers reached 55% in 2023.
- Console ownership in UAE households is 45% as of 2023.
- PlayStation dominates UAE console market with 62% share in 2023.
- Cloud gaming users in UAE surged to 1.2 million in 2023.
- Xbox Game Pass subscribers in UAE hit 450,000 in 2023.
- VR/AR gaming devices sold 150,000 units in UAE in 2023.
- Handheld gaming consoles like Nintendo Switch sold 120,000 units in UAE 2023.
- Browser-based gaming accounts for 12% of UAE playtime in 2023.
- Gaming cafes in UAE numbered 350 in 2023, serving 1.5 million visits.
- Smart TV gaming penetration in UAE reached 28% in 2023.
- Nintendo Switch Lite sales topped 80,000 units in UAE 2023.
- Meta Quest VR headset captured 40% of UAE VR market in 2023.
- 1.9 million UAE users on Google Play Games services in 2023.
- Epic Games Store had 650k UAE accounts active in 2023.
- Apple Arcade subscribers in UAE reached 200k in 2023.
- GeForce Now cloud service users grew to 300k in UAE 2023.
- 25% of UAE gamers use multiple platforms weekly in 2023.
- Gaming laptops sales in UAE hit 95,000 units in 2023.
- Stadia-like services tested by 150k UAE beta users in 2023.
Platforms Interpretation
In a nation where 92% of internet users are essentially armed with pocket-sized arcades, the UAE's gaming landscape reveals a robust and voracious appetite across every conceivable platform, from Android's dominant reign and PlayStation's console throne to the swift rise of cloud gaming and a surprisingly resilient affection for the humble gaming café.
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