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Smartphones Dominate The Saudi Online Gaming Sector
Around 73% of gamers use smartphones in the Kingdom to play online, according to a YouGov survey.

By 2026, the global gaming market is projected to surpass $200 billion in value, with mobile devices continuing to dominate the sector.
As in many other markets, smartphones are the gaming device of choice for Saudi Arabians, with nearly three-quarters of users (73%) preferring portability and convenience over consoles and PCs.
UK-based research firm YouGov found that game consoles like Microsoft’s Xbox, Sony’s PlayStation, and Nintendo’s Switch were favored by 34% of gamers, with desktops and laptops recording a 33% score. Meanwhile, high-end gaming PCs were preferred by just 14% of users.
On how much time is spent gaming per week, the biggest portion of respondents (22%) admitted they spend about 3-6 hours per day, YouGov found.
“Although mobile devices have opened the gates to casual gaming in a big way, the likes of Xbox and PlayStation continue to appeal to gaming enthusiasts, with a third of weekly gamers using dedicated gaming consoles to play video games. Men are more likely than women to say this,” YouGov analysts explained.
Like citizens in most other developed nations, social media interaction remains the top online activity for Saudi Arabians, with 41% of those surveyed engaged in it, according to experts. As you’d imagine, the likes of YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime came in next, dominating the rankings ahead of other activities like checking emails and general browsing.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Video Games Set In The Middle East
As for online gaming, Saudi Arabia’s government will be pleased with the survey’s findings, as the country plans to develop 30 new gaming titles locally and create around 40,000 jobs by 2030 as part of a program known as the National Gaming and Esports Strategy.
Last month, the Kingdom began hosting Gamers8, one of the world’s largest gaming festivals, which YouGov found to be well received by residents. Saudi Arabia’s online gaming industry also received a boost with $488 million of funding from the Saudi Esports Federation, the National Development Fund, and the Social Development Bank, announced at Riyadh’s Leap Technology Conference back in February.
News
Checkout.com Brings Visa Direct Push-To-Card To The UAE
The payment company is the first acquirer in the UAE to launch Visa Direct’s solution, enabling safe, instant money transfers.

Checkout.com has taken the UAE a step closer to its goal of a fully digital economy by becoming the first acquirer in the country to offer Visa Direct’s Push-to-Card solution. The new service will streamline money transfers for both businesses and consumers, enabling near-instant transactions across local and international markets.
Visa Direct connects over 190 markets and supports over 8.5 billion endpoints, including cards, bank accounts, and digital wallets. Push-to-Card transactions enhance efficiency for business users and consumers by allowing money to be sent quickly and easily to eligible Visa cards while leveraging the company’s secure network for reliability.
“Visa Direct is transforming the way money moves globally, and we are excited to see Checkout.com leverage this technology to meet the evolving demands of businesses and individuals alike by offering them a faster, more convenient, and secure way to send and receive funds,” said Shahebaz Khan, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, CEMEA.
The UAE has been at the forefront of digital payment adoption, driven by a national push toward a cashless economy. Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA at Checkout.com, emphasized this shift: “By providing seamless, secure, and real-time payout capabilities, we’re empowering merchants with the agility to thrive in this fast-evolving landscape, while effectively meeting the growing consumer demand for speed and convenience. The Push-to-Card solution not only reinforces our commitment to powering payment performance but also showcases our agility in bringing yet another innovation to the UAE market.”
Also Read: Qareeb Partners With Pantheon For GCC Bitcoin Mining Expansion
Checkout.com’s latest MENA eCommerce data highlights the region’s increasing engagement with financial technologies, with around 80% of consumers participating in activities beyond basic online payments, such as money transfers and personal wealth management. The growing demand for real-time financial transactions has made fast, seamless payment solutions a priority.
To meet this demand, Account Funding Transactions (AFTs) have gained traction in the UAE. By integrating AFTs with Visa’s Push-to-Card services, Checkout.com is helping merchants offer secure, real-time account top-ups. Currently processing over one million AFTs per month with Visa, Checkout.com is now playing a leading role in modernizing financial transactions in the region.
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