Market analysts Newzoo publish a yearly snapshot of the games industry. Their 2025 numbers show how central gaming has become, and why our region is getting so much attention.
1. $188.8 billion
That's the projected size of the global games market in 2025, up 3.4% on the year before.
2. 3.58 billion players
The global player base was expected to reach 3.58 billion people in 2025, more than 60% of the online population. Gaming isn't a niche hobby; for many families it's a shared language.
3. 83% on mobile
About 3 billion people play on mobile, compared with 936 million on PC and 645 million on console (many play on more than one). Mobile also brings in the most money, around $103 billion.
4. $7.1 billion in MENA
Newzoo put the Middle East and North Africa market at $7.1 billion, and described the Middle East and Africa as the fastest-growing regions, at 6.8% a year.
5. 30,000 jobs
Not a Newzoo figure, but the local one that matters: the Dubai Program for Gaming 2033 aims to create 30,000 jobs in the sector. Read more in our piece on careers in gaming in the UAE.
What we take from it
With this many players, the question for families is no longer whether children will game, but how: with balance, safety and a sense of purpose. That's the whole idea behind Ascend's wellness-first coaching.
