Egypt & KSA Top Global Rankings for Average Daily Video Game Playtime
Nobody games as hard as people from the MENA region, apparently. According to the US-based online gaming platform Mobile Premier League, Egypt ranked first in terms of average daily time spent playing video games, with Saudi Arabia coming second in the global ranking.
The report said that Egypt’s gaming culture is experiencing rapid growth due to a rising middle class and increased internet accessibility. Popular genres include first-person shooters, sports games like FIFA Soccer, and multiplayer online battle arena games like Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile (PUBG).
This news bodes well for Saudi Arabia, whose National Gaming and Esports Strategy aims to contribute USD 13 billion to the country’s gross domestic product.
The growth of the online gaming industry in the region more widely is fuelled by a number of factors, including a burgeoning digital economy, a tech-savvy population, a burgeoning youth population, widespread accessibility to smartphones, and high-speed internet. Advancements in technology and increased Arabic-language content are also driving the growing gaming landscape.