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Tamatem secures $2.5 million to localise mobile games for MENA region

MENA mobile market expected to triple by 2022, but only 1% of games are localised to Arabic

After raising $2.5 million in Series A funding, Jordanian-based mobile publisher Tamatem is looking to plug a gap in the market by localising more games into Arabic.

According to global consulting firm Strategy&, the Middle-East North African (MENA) mobile gaming market is expected to triple its current value by 2022, growing into a $2.3 billion industry.

Additionally, the market in Saudi Arabia currently has the highest average revenue per paying user in the world; China for example has an ARPPU of $32 compared to roughly $270 in Saudi Arabia.

However, the MENA mobile gaming market is notably underserved with less than 1% of games being localised into Arabic.

"Tamatem has been working and partnering with some of the best developers and studios from around the world, to bring the highest quality games possible to the region," said founder and CEO Hussam Hammo.

"This investment will help us localise better mobile games and will also allow us dig deeper into the Arab gaming market."

Led by Wamda Capital, the new funding will allow the company to capture a larger share of the MENA market, establish agreements with international game developers, and hire new talent.

"At Wamda Capital we have been closely monitoring the evolution of the regional gaming market and believe there to be a very significant opportunity in further developing the space driven by strong consumer demand for access to global titles adapted for local preferences," Wamda Capital's managing partner, Khaled Talhouni said.

Additional investors included Discovery Nusantara Capital, Raed Ventures, Vision Venture Capital and Seed Equity Venture Partners.

Founded in 2013, Tamatem has published over 40 games, reaching a total of more than 50 million downloads in the MENA region.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Hussam and the Tamatem team in our first investment in the gaming space," Talhouni added. "The company has a track record that is second to none in publishing and localising titles in regional markets."

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Ivy Taylor

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Ivy joined GamesIndustry.biz in 2017 having previously worked as a regional journalist, and a political campaigns manager before that. They are also one of the UK's foremost Sonic the Hedgehog apologists.