🎮 Egyptian consumers are spending USD bns on… gaming? In 2024, video game-related consumer spending reached a lofty USD 2.5 bn across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, with Om El Donia leading the pack by volume with a total spend of USD 1.1 bn — up 11.5% from 2023, according to a study (pdf) by Galal & Karawi Management Consulting and Orient Planet Group. When it comes to digital media spending, gaming is king — dwarfing on-demand streaming services and music.

The breakdown

While USD 1.1 bn is not the kind of number to be ignored, we have lagged behind in terms of value. Despite generating the highest volume throughout the region, we generated the lowest value per individual user, at USD 61.8 per user, compared to the UAE’s USD 280 per user and Saudi Arabia’s USD 393.

And the math checks out. The volume is driven by Egypt’s population — over 108 mn as of August 2025, according to CAPMAS — a significant number of whom were active internet users as of April 2025, according to the Communications Ministry. The study also notes that 91.6% of internet users in Egypt are gamers, with smartphone games — such as PUBG and the recently bannedRoblox — taking the cake with 76.4% of total active usage.

The popularity of smartphone games, most operating on at-no-cost models with optional transactions, explains the volume-value disparity — most of us are playing, but not all are paying, or at least not half as much as our gaming neighbors. In short: as gaming proves to be a significant driving force in digital expenditure in the country, there remains ample room for growth.

On the streaming side

Consumers throughout the three countries included in the study spent nearly USD 1.2 bn on video-on-demand services, and USD 306.7 mn on digital music streaming services. In Egypt, we spent USD 101 mn on music, and topped the video-on-demand charts with USD 602 mn. In short: we’ve been consuming quite a bit.

The implications for the Egyptian economy

It’s not just entertainment anymore, it’s an entire economic ecosystem — one that opens doors for a slew of Egyptian creatives across software development, storytelling, and digital marketing, according to Galal & Karawi Management Consulting co-founder Asem Galal. Given the 76.4% internet penetration rate and the proliferation of smartphones, Egypt’s digital gaming industry could end up in the big leagues.

Everyone can have their share of fun, too. If played right, Egypt’s video game industry could create jobs for scores of illustrators, storytellers, composers, voice actors, marketing specialists, and more talents, according to Galal. As of right now, however, it’s an industry that’s been largely untapped.

What does the future look like?

Egypt appears to be treading a rocky path. Amid rising calls for digital game bans and blocking in-game chat features, the numbers tell us that gaming actually could be the way ahead. The sheer scale of engagement with digital games opens doors for Egyptian developers to tap into what is indeed a lucrative market, capitalize on volume, and work their way up to regional or global scalability.

The booming market may also mean a change in how businesses approach their marketing strategies. With digital games now moving beyond mere functionality and into bustling virtual communities, marketers may need to rethink where they allocate their ad budgets. “Quality investment [windows] are still undercapitalized,” Orient Planet Group Managing Director Nidal Abou Zaki said. “This transformation urges media institutions to rethink conventional methods of audience engagement,” head of the Dubai Media Academy Muna Busamra added.

So, what’s missing? The study notes that despite the high growth rate — 11.5% y-o-y — the market is far from mature and needs “integrated policies and strategies.” For Egypt to level up, we’ll need to start seeing the groundwork for a revamped digital creative industry.

Tags: