Esports investment in the Middle East is already bearing fruit, says Power League Gaming boss

A growing number of youngsters – and parents – now view video games as a viable career path

A young population and stable internet connection in the region have helped to create a prime gaming market, industry leaders say. Victor Besa / The National

Gaming, both professionally and casually, continues to grow in the Middle East, particularly in the Gulf region. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have made strides in expanding the gaming experience and giving it legitimacy as a career path, whether as a player or a game developer.

Power League Gaming, an esports and marketing agency in Dubai, is one of the major players in the field. Last week, the company published a report on core gaming trends in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, revealing that women formed a large chunk of the gaming population – 27 per cent in Saudi Arabia.

Gamers in the UAE play for 1.2 hours on average per day, while those in Saudi Arabia spend an average of one hour. When it comes to mobile gaming, 77 per cent of gamers in the UAE play on smartphones, closely followed by 71 per cent in Saudi Arabia.

While many credit the surge in the popularity of gaming to the Covid-19 pandemic, when people found more time during lockdowns, Power League Gaming chief executive Matthew Pickering says it is not the only factor, especially in the Middle East.

“The region – especially the GCC, including UAE and Saudi Arabia – has a high percentage of young people. The region also has high-speed, stable internet and high mobile penetration,” he tells The National. He adds that the combination of infrastructure, coupled with device penetration and a youthful population, has created a prime market for publishers.

Matthew Pickering is the chief executive of Power league Gaming, one of the leading gaming agencies in the Middle East. Photo: Power League Gaming

While acknowledging parents' concern about their children wasting time and letting video games affect their studies, Pickering says that as a parent himself, it’s something he constantly considers. “On average, Gen Z and Gen Alpha spend 6.5 hours a week playing. But gaming isn’t just about playing – it’s also about social interaction," he says.

He notes Power League Gaming's recent partnership with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Education and Knowledge to create a curriculum based on Pearson Btec esports modules. Both parents and students were interested in using gaming as a gateway to learn professional skills, he adds, whether it's production, confidence on camera, strategy, creative design, editing and publishing.

"Our goal is to demystify gaming and showcase its career viability in this region. Esports is now a solid career path," he says. Saudi Arabia hosted its first Esports World Cup last year, where players competed across 22 games for a total prize pool of $60 million – one of the highest in the world. The competition helped cement the kingdom as a serious global player in esports.

Saudi Arabia hosted its first Esports World Cup last year as athletes competed across 22 games for a prize pool worth $60 million. Photo: SPA

Similar steps are being taken in the UAE, as Dubai Multi Commodities Centre and Abu Dhabi’s twoFour54 are both building spaces for game development and esports teams.

Pickering says the results of these investments are already being seen at esports champions. Saudi Arabia’s Team Falcons compete across multiple games including Apex Legends and Counter-Strike 2. The Abu Dhabi fighting game duo Adel "Big Bird” Anouche and Amjad “Angrybird” Al Shalabi both competed in and won international tournaments and now represent a team in Japan, having been recruited for their high-level skills.

The high percentage of female gamers in Saudi Arabia is also encouraging, Pickering says. He adds that it is higher than the global average, which is 20 to 22 per cent. "Female gamers often play the same titles as men at equal levels," he explains. "They want to compete against male players, and our role is to create platforms for that.”