Gaming, Adtech, and Events: Saudi Arabia's Emerging Media Landscape
Saudi Arabia's media and entertainment industry is the largest in the region and one of the fastest-growing globally, benefiting from ongoing policy support, a vast consumer market and rapid expansion of sunrise sectors such as gaming, digital advertising, and live events.
This raises the question: what opportunities do these emerging spaces create on the ground?
Why Global Companies Are Targeting Saudi Arabia’s Booming Gaming Market
Riyadh is fast emerging as a name synonymous with entertainment and gaming innovation. The country's acclaim as the next "Silicon Valley" for the gaming industry is not by chance. In 2024, the Kingdom accounted for 20% of MENA’s gaming revenues, generating $1.2 billion.
Data in the Savvy report showed that Saudi Arabia’s gaming market generated $1.19 billion in revenue in 2024, growing at a CAGR of 8.2%. By 2028, the sector is projected to be worth $1.64 billion. This buoyant outlook is anchored by the Saudi Gaming and Esports National Strategy, which aims to increase the sector’s GDP contribution to more than $13.3 billion and create 39,000 new jobs by 2030.
The gaming and broader sports sectors were in the spotlight last week at the Sports Investment Forum in Riyadh. The event brought together senior officials, CEOs, and global investors to explore opportunities at the intersection of sports, gaming, and investment.
During the forum, a SR1 billion ($267 million) private sector-led Dammam Sports City project was announced, expected to drive inflows into Saudi Arabia’s esports and gaming economy.
Crucially, this highlights the government's clear intention to build a strong foundation for the sector's long-term growth via policies and initiatives that boost business sentiment for years to come. Among these is the $38 billion National Video Games and Esports Strategy, launched in September 2022 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Looking inward, gaming is one of the fastest-growing segments of the Saudi media industry, powered by advanced infrastructure, widespread tech adoption, and some of the fastest internet speeds globally.
Advancements in technology continue to reshape how games are developed and experienced, making gaming increasingly accessible across devices: mobile, PC, and console. Notably, video game console imports are projected to exceed 2.4 million units across across 2024–2025, underscoring robust consumer demand.
This opens up significant opportunities for global studios and platforms to develop games rooted in Saudi culture while maintaining global appeal. The trend aligns with the government’s accelerating efforts to boost local content creation and strengthen intellectual property (IP) protection.
Adtech Companies Discover New Revenue Streams in Saudi Digital Media Sector
The outlook on digital advertising seems exceptionally positive and brimming with potential. By 2030, digital advertising spend is projected to account for 91% of the total market.
For global brands and SMEs, the evolution of adtech presents major growth opportunities. This is particularly relevant as e-commerce keeps accelerating, prompting Saudi businesses to quickly expand their online presence and reshape customer experience.
This shift opens up ample opportunities for global digital advertisers amid strong growth in demand for hyper-personalized campaigns that offer the right consumer the right message at the right time.
Global adtech players are taking note. Teads, supported by AstroLabs’ in-market expertise, has entered Saudi Arabia to offer advanced ROI-driven advertising solutions.
Assembly Global has also been one of the notable entrants into the adtech space, having expanded into the Kingdom with AstroLabs to enhance its ability to offer localized solutions and support to a growing list of strategic clients and strengthen relationships with key partners. The global adtech firm has worked with major Saudi giga projects like NEOM’s The Line, Riyadh’s New Murabba, and other public sector entities such as Ceer and the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI).
The entry of both global adtech leaders into Saudi highlights the increasing adoption of digital advertising across industries.
Continuing its ascending growth potential, the digital ad space remains largely fueled by the rise of mobile-first strategies, AI and IoT integration, and the significant ad share from the direct-to-consumer and SME sectors.
Riyadh: the World’s Next MICE and Live Events Hub
With market size projected to exceed $17.6 billion by 2031, the event industry in Saudi Arabia is tipped to maintain growth. Saudi Arabia is now considered one of the top three MICE destinations in the MENA region, where the broader industry is set to reach $100.3 billion by 2035.
The Saudi market’s growing influence is fueling the need for event design and management productions. Recognizing the opportunity, ES: ME, a global entertainment and service provider, has recently set up a business in Saudi Arabia with support from AstroLabs.
By deepening its on-ground presence, the global innovator works to deliver high-profile festivals, exhibitions, and sporting events across the Kingdom. Its portfolio features high-profile projects such as Noor Riyadh Festival, Saudi National Days Celebration, and the WWE.
Key cities, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Diriyah, Qiddiya, and Al-Ula, are becoming hubs for MICE, culture, sports, and seasonal festivals.
As the capital city, Riyadh is at the forefront of this movement, with initiatives like Riyadh Season drawing a growing number of visitors from across the world. The last edition has attracted a record-breaking 17 million visitors.
Located in western Riyadh, Qiddiya’s planned Performing Arts Center is expected to host 260 events annually, attracting around 800,000 visitors each year. As construction gets underway, Qiddiya Investment Company has begun awarding major contracts, including a $1.4 billion construction deal to Nesma & Partners.
This wave of infrastructure development feeds directly into Saudi Arabia’s broader ambitions to scale its global events offering. Hosting large-scale events such as Riyadh Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup is set to mark defining milestones in that trajectory.
Not only will these benefit the media industry, but they'll also have a positive impact on industries such as construction, travel, tourism, IT, retail, and hospitality.
Saudi's credentials as a premier business hub present substantial market demand and growth potential in emerging media spaces.
As these segments expand, they present vast opportunities for international investors and businesses, particularly those ready to move early enough to capture the first-mover advantage and establish themselves as market leaders.