In the entertainment and communication sector, the video games business is the second largest globally after television (ahead of cinema and music): $184.4 billion in 2022, with prospects of reaching $210 billion in 2026. According to a Boston Consulting Group report (June 2023), the region with the most fans in the world is the Middle East and North Africa. Specifically, just over 60% of the population claim to be video game enthusiasts.
One of the factors for this is undoubtedly that the region has a large young population. The average age in this part of the world is 26.8 years. And people between the ages of 15 and 29 account for almost a quarter of its inhabitants, or 24%, according to data from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2022). In fact, with 34 countries, including some of the world’s most developed, this age group accounts for 19 per cent of the OECD population. Consequently, the Middle East and North Africa have the highest rate of video game app downloads in the world, with 50% of the total, while globally it is 40%.
It is very likely that the United Arab Emirates government, as well as True Gamers, a global network of eSports clubs and the architects and promoters of the project to which we dedicate this space, have considered these factors in order to get it off the ground. In fact, Anton Vasilenko, CEO and co-founder of True Gamers, told The National News that they had conducted “a comprehensive market analysis of (…) region’s eSports landscape and the global eSports industry’s growth trajectory before developing plans for the eSports island”. All in all, it will be the largest eSports infrastructure in the world, and the first on an island, dedicated to eSports. The project is expected to require a $1 billion investment to build.
The island will feature a themed hotel inspired by gaming experiences. At the same time, there will be areas dedicated to children, areas for kids to learn about e-sports and video games. There will also be a business centre called Digital Tower, with work areas, high-speed technologies, a launch pad for new companies in the sector and animation development studios. Finally, there will be a training camp for professional gamers to prepare for major tournaments.
The island is planned to be located between the Al Bandar and Al Dana developments along Al Raha Beach in Abu Dhabi. Finally, it is worth noting that in addition to the 14 rooms True Gamers operates in Dubai and 100 in Eastern Europe, the company announced last January (2024) that it had signed a $45 million contract with Saudi Arabia to develop 150 more gaming rooms in the country.
Sources: The National News, Wired, Zawya, Boston Consulting Group, OCDE, Consultancy-Me, Wikipedia.
Images: True Gamers.
