High income, a young population and “attractive” regulations could make Dubai a “launchpad” for games and web3

The Dubai Game Expo Summit powered by Pocket Gamer Connects returns on May 7th to 8th 2025, offering a chance to gain insights into the world’s fastest-growing games market, MENA.

Check out more stories from PocketGamer.biz’s MENA Month special, where we interview the top companies and delve into the investment landscape, right here.

MENA games revenue is expected to reach $6 billion by 2027, almost doubling since 2021, according to the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC).

DMCC director of ecosystems Belal Jassoma shared this figure on stage at the Dubai GameExpo Summit powered by Pocket Gamer Connects in 2024, where he discussed the value of the MENA region and Dubai specifically as a “launchpad” for games and web3.

“Dubai has really positioned itself as a global business hub and as the gateway to the Middle East Africa and South Asia. It’s very centralised,” he said.

In particular, he noted that the United Arab Emirates has emerged as “one of the leading gaming hubs”, with Dubai largely at the forefront.

He suggested that high income levels, public investment initiatives and Dubai’s centralised location – “able to manage East and West in terms of time zone” – have all contributed towards the region’s rising profile.

Furthermore, the United Arab Emirates’ young population is especially “enthusiastic” about new games, with an average of 14 hours per week spent playing games. Spend per capita on games in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is among the highest globally, according to Jassoma.

Consistent and friendly

“There’s an attractive regulatory landscape over here, especially when looking at web3,” Jassoma continued.

“The UAE has really put gaming technology and disruptive technology on the national agenda and we see that focus with the many strategies that were launched across the metaverse, gaming and, more recently, with the universal plan for AI.”

While current challenges include the limited availability of talent and the need to “create awareness” of the games industry with potential key stakeholders, Jassoma also highlighted that “from the beginning, Dubai has decided to be a crypto-friendly city”.

He argued that this has created a more stable, reliable locale for web3 developers than other markets with a less consistent stance.

Paired with the region’s “push for innovative technologies” like AI and blockchain, these factors have helped businesses grow traction.

“If I’m to compare UAE to other players in the region I would say that the growth here is more organic,” Jassoma.

“But I would have to admit that education is an area that we can improve on and is the single most important pillar that we have to focus on to have more sustained growth.”