Gaming and esports marketing in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and MENA
We aren't outsiders who studied gaming. We're players who learned marketing, with years of campaigns for some of the biggest publishers in the world.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt had around 72 million gamers between them at the end of 2024, according to Niko Partners. Saudi Arabia's national strategy aims to make the Kingdom a top-three country by number of esports players by 2030. Dubai's Program for Gaming 2033 targets 30,000 new jobs in the sector. The audience is large, young and online every day, and it is quick to reject brands that don't understand it.
Before founding HighGround, our team built campaigns with Epic Games, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, Logitech and NVIDIA, across PC, console and mobile. We know how launches, seasons, patches and esports calendars shape what players pay attention to.
For publishers and IP owners
- Regional launchesGo-to-market plans for MENA, localisation of key art and trailers, and launch-week activity.
- Creator programmesStreamers and content creators matched to the game's genre and audience.
- Community and esports opsCommunity events, tournaments, creative direction, production and broadcast.
- Live-ops beatsSocial content for new seasons, updates and in-game events.
For brands entering gaming
- Brand integration and IPCustomisation, in-game items and collaborations that players actually want.
- Event IPsBranded tournaments, watch parties and community nights.
- Streamer partnershipsSponsorships that fit the stream instead of interrupting it.
- Sponsorship strategyWhich teams, events or creators to back, and how to activate around them.
Read our guide on how non-gaming brands can enter gaming in the Middle East.
FAQ
Questions we get asked
Which games and genres have you worked on?
Our team has worked on shooters, battle royales, MOBAs, fighting games and hardware launches, with publishers including Epic Games, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard and Ubisoft, before founding HighGround.
Can a non-gaming brand work with streamers?
Yes, and it often works well when the fit is real. A food, drink, telecom, fashion or retail brand can sponsor streams, host a community tournament or create an in-game collaboration. The key is giving players something useful or fun rather than an ad break.
Do you work on esports events in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Saudi Arabia is one of the most active esports markets in the world. It hosts the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, whose 2026 edition offered a US$75 million prize pool. We support brands and publishers around events like these and run our own community tournaments.
Tell us what you sell and where you sell it
Send a short brief: your brand, your market and what you want people to do. We come back with questions or a first plan.