Invest Qatar, the investment promotion agency of Qatar, and Level Infinite, Tencent’s global gaming brand, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the gaming industry in Qatar.

This agreement was finalized during the Qatar Economic Forum.

The MoU outlines a collaboration to strengthen Qatar’s gaming ecosystem and share best practices.

Invest Qatar will support Level Infinite in entering the local market by connecting it with key stakeholders and raising awareness of its initiatives.

Both parties will also work on talent development, focusing on gaming technology and product innovation.

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🔗 Source: Invest Qatar

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ MENA gaming market presents massive growth opportunity amid regional competition

Qatar’s gaming industry initiative comes amid extraordinary regional growth, with the MENA gaming market projected to surge from $7.04 billion in 2025 to $11.87 billion by 2030, representing an 11.02% compound annual growth rate 1.

This makes it the fastest-growing gaming market globally with a 15% revenue increase in 2024 alone and a rapidly expanding player base of 574 million gamers representing 17% of the global gaming community 2.

Qatar is entering a competitive landscape where Saudi Arabia has already committed $38 billion through its Public Investment Fund to support gaming initiatives 2, aiming to contribute $13.3 billion to its GDP and create 39,000 jobs by 2030 3.

The UAE is similarly positioning itself as a regional gaming hub, with both countries racing to attract international gaming companies and develop local talent 4.

Qatar’s strategic location, advanced ICT infrastructure, and the world’s fastest mobile internet speeds provide competitive advantages as it seeks to establish itself within this rapidly evolving ecosystem.

2️⃣ Mobile gaming dominance shapes Qatar’s market opportunity

The Tencent partnership aligns perfectly with regional consumption patterns, as mobile gaming accounts for 47% of total gaming revenue in MENA 1 and over 65% of all gaming revenue according to some estimates 2.

This mobile-first landscape is supported by exceptionally high smartphone penetration across the region, with users downloading more than 26,200 apps per minute 2.

For Qatar specifically, this creates an opportunity to leverage its world-class mobile internet infrastructure, already mentioned as a strategic advantage in the original announcement.

The mobile gaming focus allows for more accessible entry points into the gaming ecosystem without requiring the massive initial investments in console or PC gaming facilities.

This approach could potentially accelerate Qatar’s gaming industry development timeline while allowing the market to mature organically from mobile toward more complex gaming environments.

3️⃣ Youth demographics drive gaming industry potential in Qatar

Qatar’s gaming industry push capitalizes on the region’s youth demographic advantage, with MENA’s median age at just 22 years and 60% of gamers under 25 years old 2.

This youthful profile aligns with Qatar’s broader educational investments, including the establishment of Education City hosting branches of American universities 5 and its focus on youth development programs.

The gaming audience in Qatar fits within the broader regional pattern where 92% of those under 30 identify as gamers 3, creating a natural market for both gaming consumption and potential talent development.

By focusing on talent development initiatives as mentioned in the MoU, Qatar and Level Infinite are addressing a critical component for long-term industry sustainability beyond just consumption.

This demographic reality makes gaming not just an entertainment sector but a potential career pathway for Qatar’s youth, supporting the country’s broader knowledge economy objectives under Qatar National Vision 2030.

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