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The Future of Gaming in the MENA Region

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By Mario Pérez, CEO MENATech (a company of GGTech Entertainment)

The MENA region is rapidly emerging as a powerhouse in the global gaming industry. Its gaming ecosystem is now the second fastest-growing worldwide, driven by an increase in the player base, investment from governments, and innovative trends like esports and game development. This region is not only shaping the future of gaming but positioning itself as a global hub for gaming innovation.

In recent years, gaming has undergone a radical transformation. Multiplayer games and increased interaction among players have made gaming a social activity rather than a solo pursuit. This evolution has democratized gaming, attracting millions of new players. Streaming platforms, virtual reality, and web3 are enhancing gaming experiences, making them more immersive and accessible. With all these innovations, the gaming industry is evolving rapidly, and MENA is at the forefront of this change.

MENA’s Gaming Market Growth

The MENA gaming industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, positioning itself as a key player in the global market, with the video games market projected to reach $2.9 billion in revenue in 2028. The region’s player base of 377 million rivals that of Europe and the US, making it one of the most dynamic regions for gaming growth.

Several factors contribute to this surge. First, the region’s young population—55% of which is under 30—is highly tech-savvy. The proliferation of mobile gaming and increased internet penetration has further accelerated growth. Countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are leading this charge, boasting some of the highest engagement rates in the world. In fact, nine out of ten adults in the UAE are gamers, according to Statista’s Global Consumer Survey.

The region’s rapid growth and tax-free earnings have made it attractive for global gaming companies and investors, cementing its place as a crucial player in the global gaming landscape.

Government Support and Strategic Initiatives

Governments across the MENA region are fully backing the growth of the gaming and esports sectors. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, for example, has a clear focus on developing the gaming industry as part of the nation’s broader economic diversification efforts. Its National Gaming and Esports Strategy aims to create 39,000 jobs by 2030 and contribute to the kingdom’s growing digital economy.

The UAE is equally committed to this vision, with initiatives like the ‘Abu Dhabi Gaming’ program, designed to foster talent and establish year-round gaming events. Dubai, through its Dubai Program for Gaming 2033 (DPG 2033), is introducing long-term residency visas for gaming professionals to nurture a vibrant gaming community. The city also aims to generate 30,000 jobs in the gaming sector by 2033, adding $1 billion to its GDP. DMCC Gaming Centre in Dubai, which houses around 100 gaming companies, also shows how governments are creating environments that encourage innovation and collaboration.

Esports: The MENA Region as a New Hub

In 2023, the global esports audience reached 540 million, with the MENA region playing a pivotal role in its growth. Saudi Arabia has become a major player in this space, hosting the Esports World Cup this year and preparing to host the Esports Olympics in 2025. These events are not just about competition; they represent an economic shift, driving tourism, creating jobs, and embedding esports into the cultural fabric of the region.

With 60% of global esports revenue coming from sponsorships, the MENA region is well-positioned to capitalize on this booming market. Professional leagues and international tournaments are gaining traction, and global brands like Coca-Cola, Toyota and Amazon are increasingly partnering with local esports teams and organizations, providing sponsorships that fuel the industry’s growth.

Local studios and developers are creating content that reflects the region’s culture and values, with publishers releasing Arabic language versions of their games to cater to the growing market.

Streaming has revolutionized how people consume games, offering opportunities for both participation and spectating. The rise of elite leagues and professional players has further driven the esports scene, making gaming a central part of entertainment in MENA. Full-time gaming careers are now a reality, with players earning through live streaming, tournament prizes, and merchandising.

Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

A cohesive governing structure is needed to align popular games and create a unified competitive landscape, like the MENA Tech’s annual UNIVERSITY Esports competition, which hosts multi-game tournaments for college students in the region.

Monetization remains a challenge, as esports is often viewed as a marketing tool rather than a profitable industry. Increased collaboration, regulation, and innovative revenue-sharing models are key to unlocking the region’s gaming potential. Technologies like NFTs, blockchain, and the Metaverse are infusing the arena with fresh monetisation prospects.

The future of gaming will largely hinge on technological advancements, with key trends leading the way. These include the rise of sports and fitness gamification, AI-driven transformations, and the resurgence of handheld gaming devices. Emerging technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality will also play a significant role, particularly with the development of extended reality, which blends the former two to blur the line between physical and virtual worlds.

MENA’s Path to Global Influence

With strong government support, rising player engagement, and a growing esports scene, the MENA region is well on its way to becoming a global leader in the gaming industry. As the region continues to invest in technology and infrastructure, its influence on the global gaming stage will only grow. The future of gaming in MENA looks incredibly promising, and its potential to shape the industry’s future is undeniable.

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Vertiv expands Manufacturing and Testing Capacity at Tognana Campus near Padua

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Vertiv (NYSE: VRT), a global leader in critical digital infrastructure, today announced investments to expand chiller manufacturing and integrated testing capabilities at its Tognana campus near Padua. The company expects to double chiller production capacity in the region by the end of 2026 and complete a new large-scale testing laboratory in early 2027. The growth is also creating additional career opportunities across the campus. The site serves as one of Vertiv’s principal centers for cooling technology development, bringing together research and development, product management, manufacturing, and a Customer Experience Center, where customers and consultants can participate in witness testing of a broad range of cooling technologies across the thermal chain under real-world operating conditions.

With the growing demand for thermal systems to support high-density AI applications, Vertiv is focused on increasing manufacturing operations and new production processes at the Tognana site to support regional and global chiller capacity. The company is also investing in a new integrated testing laboratory for large-scale chillers, to validate their integration with liquid cooling systems under high-density load conditions and extreme temperature ranges. The expanded capability is intended to help customers validate thermal performance under expected site conditions and deploy increasingly complex cooling systems with greater speed and confidence.

“AI is driving thermal demands that didn’t exist two years ago, with higher densities, faster deployment demands, and no room to compromise on reliability,” said Giordano Albertazzi, CEO of Vertiv. “The expansion at Tognana puts us further ahead with more manufacturing capacity, integrated testing, and advanced thermal management systems built for current and future generations of silicon. This investment reinforces our position at the front of the curve.”

Vertiv has maintained a longstanding presence at the Tognana site since the 1960s, building on the legacy of brands such as Vertiv™ Liebert® and Vertiv™ Hiross, pioneers in precision cooling. Today, the campus serves as one of Vertiv’s principal European centers for data center thermal management, integrating innovation, manufacturing, testing, and customer engagement capabilities. Together with the Castel Guelfo facility near Bologna, it forms one of Vertiv’s main European technology hubs. Bologna and Tognana are also Vertiv Academy sites, providing training programs for technicians, partners and industry professionals. They are part of a network of 30 training centers and academies worldwide, of which 15 are based in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

“The expertise of our Tognana teams is central to Vertiv’s ability to support increasingly complex cooling requirements,” said Sam Bainborough, vice president, thermal business at Vertiv in EMEA. “By expanding manufacturing, integrated testing and our local talent base, we are strengthening the campus’s role in serving customers across EMEA and other global markets while creating skilled opportunities in the region.”

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OPTRO LAUNCHES ‘OPTRO PARTNER CONNECT’ TO POWER GLOBAL GRC ECOSYSTEM GROWTH

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Optro (formerly AuditBoard), the leading AI-powered GRC Intelligence Platform empowering enterprises to transform risk into opportunity, has announced the formal launch of Optro Partner Connect. The new partner program offers partners flexible ways to go to market, a comprehensive suite of enablement, certification, technical, and co-marketing support, and a clear, predictable path to expand into new markets, deepen their service offerings, and drive lasting customer outcomes.

Optro Partner Connect replaces legacy frameworks with a modular design centered around distinct partner tracks, initially launching with Advisory Partners and Solution Providers, and a transparent tier structure in which benefits grow as partners do. Because benefits are tiered, partners will know exactly what they can access and unlock at each stage of their journey with Optro. Supporting every partner is a dedicated Partner Center of Excellence (PCoE): a team solely focused on partner success that guides firms through onboarding and ongoing “everboarding,” helping partners reach their first wins sooner and maintain a clear line of sight on their next stage of growth.

“Partners are a critical growth engine for Optro, and Optro Partner Connect ensures our ecosystem’s experience matches the enterprise-grade quality of our platform,” said Scott Whitlock, Global VP of Alliances and Channels at Optro. “By moving away from transaction-only metrics and adopting a holistic evaluation of capacity and competency, we are giving our partners a clear blueprint to build highly profitable services practices around our GRC Intelligence Platform.”

A differentiator of the program is Optro’s roadmap to weave an AI layer throughout the partner experience to give partners back time and help them win by automating repeatable manual tasks, surfacing real-time co-sell guidance in the field, and personalizing each partner’s onboarding so they can spend less time on administration and more time on value creation.

Key Program Highlights At-A-Glance

  • Flexible Tracks & Engagement Models: Partners choose how they go to market across the Advisory and Solution Provider tracks, referring, selling, or servicing with a transparent tier structure, a flexible legal framework, and recognized status as they grow. Financial and servicing incentives reward that momentum, and a services-rich platform offers eligible partners room to build a high-value practice across the full customer lifecycle — from implementation and advisory through managed services.
  • Enablement, Expertise, and Market Presence: A comprehensive benefits suite spanning role-based training and certification, deep technical and co-sell support, and co-branded marketing resources. Beyond a searchable partner directory that helps customers find them, qualified partners have a path to build their own solutions, integrations, and accelerators with Optro — turning their expertise into valuable IP.
  • A Strategic Voice for Optro: Through continuous feedback loops and a formal Partner Advisory Board, invited partners can participate in roadmap and go-to-market strategy discussions, helping to impact the future of connected GRC alongside Optro’s leadership rather than just delivering it.

“Our collaboration with Optro helps us transform how our clients handle audit and compliance,” said Adam Pajakowski, Principal at Crowe. “Through this new partner program, we can continue to help companies move away from outdated, manual processes. We look forward to expanding our work together and continuing to drive great results for our joint clients.”

“We’re excited about the launch of Optro Partner Connect and the added structure it brings to an already strong collaboration,” said Andrew Struthers-Kennedy, Global Lead, CAE Solutions, Protiviti. “The program introduces clearer alignment, more formal recognition, and a scalable framework for how we work together, which we believe will help drive greater consistency and impact as both organizations continue to grow.”

Optro Partner Connect formally goes live today. Comprehensive program briefs, regional guides, and deal registration resources are now available to active partners via a unified, updated partner portal. To learn more or apply to join Optro Partner Connect, visit optro.ai.

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DXC INTRODUCES DXC PRIVATE CLOUD+, BRINGING GREATER CONTROL, SECURITY, AND FLEXIBILITY TO ENTERPRISE CLOUD

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DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC), a leading enterprise technology and innovation partner, has announced that its DXC Private Cloud+ is now generally available. The solution delivers public cloud–like flexibility and pricing while maintaining full control over sensitive data and workloads. Powered by Dell Technologies infrastructure like servers, storage, and cyber resilience solutions and operated by DXC OASIS, DXC’s intelligent orchestration platform, Private Cloud+ helps organizations innovate more easily while still meeting strict requirements for data security, compliance, and sovereignty, at a time when enterprise cloud strategies are rapidly evolving.

As governance, security, data sovereignty, and industry-specific requirements become just as critical as scale, global organizations across industries are moving beyond a single-cloud approach and building multi-cloud portfolios that offer greater choice and control. In this environment, Private Cloud+ adds a powerful new option—combining the economics and agility of hyperscale with the control of private cloud, while providing a unified platform to connect data centers, integrate with public clouds, and prepare for AI workloads.

“Customers across industries from manufacturing to transportation, insurance and more want hyperscale economics, flexibility, and AI-readiness in a true hybrid environment, one that works across what they already run and the public clouds they depend on. Until now, they’ve had to compromise. Private Cloud+, powered by Dell and operated by DXC OASIS, ends that trade-off and enables them to be ready as AI workloads increase,” said Chris Drumgoole, President, Global Infrastructure Services, DXC.

Hosted in DXC’s data centers and orchestrated by DXC OASIS with a Human+ approach, Private Cloud+ supports the full range of enterprise workloads, including VMs, containers, data, backup and resiliency, and private AI. The result is a single environment where customers can reduce technical debt, strengthen security, and move faster from idea to production, supported by consumption-based economics that simplify financial planning.

Private Cloud+ is offered in three editions, enabling enterprises to choose the deployment model that matches their workload, tenancy, and compliance needs:

  • Core: a multi-tenant private cloud with the full Private Cloud+ feature set on consumption-based pricing
  • Dedicated: a single-tenant environment for customers requiring full isolation of compute, storage, and data sovereignty
  • Government: a hardened edition with advanced security controls, operated by cleared domestic personnel, for government agencies and regulated industries


“Enterprises are juggling sensitive workloads, modernization, and AI, all at once. Many are looking for infrastructure that handles it natively, without bolt-ons. That’s exactly what we built with Private Cloud+, with DXC OASIS removing the operational burden so customers can focus on innovation,” said Benjamin Greene, Director, Global Infrastructure Services, Private Cloud, DXC.

DXC and Dell have collaborated for over 25 years, jointly serving more than 2,000 customers worldwide. DXC is a Titanium Black partner in the Dell Technologies Partner Program. Private Cloud+ is a DXC Fast Track solution, focused on AI-fueled capabilities and automation that drive exponential growth.

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