The Middle East’s online gaming sector is aiming for a significant share of the global market as the world’s fastest growing media segment moves towards becoming a $13 billion industry by 2013.

The latest trends and products within the Arab internet gaming scene will take center stage during the '2nd Dubai World Game Expo,' the largest and only event dedicated to the region’s online gaming business to be held from October 27 to 29 in Dubai.

Sponsored by Saudi-based OneCard, the Middle East’s leading multi-function e-payment gateway service provider, the expo reflects the rapidly growing popularity of online gaming in the Arab region and the exponential growth of annual global IP traffic despite the economic downturn.

Networking specialist Cisco estimates that yearly traffic will increase at an average compound rate of 40 per cent to exceed two-thirds of a zettabyte (one sextillion bytes) within the next four years, with the Middle East and Africa region expected to post the fastest growth at 51 per cent.

Internet gaming is projected to grow at an average compound rate of 39 per cent during the same period, said a top official of OneCard.

'Internet usage in the Middle East has grown more than 1,300 per cent from the year 2000 to the present, with many users attracted to online gaming,' said Muhannad Ebwini, general manager, OneCard.

'Given the region’s mainly young population and aggressive investments into IT infrastructure, internet gaming has the potential to become a major income generator in this part of the world,' Ebwini pointed out.

'The Arab gaming sector needs to explore opportunities and broaden its market so that it can keep pace with the exponential growth in global online gaming and eventually become one of this rapidly evolving industry’s key markets,' he added.

Massive Multiplayer Online companies (MMO) actively publishing and promoting MMO games alone are expected to grow at a steady pace over the coming years.

OneCard supports payment facilities for several popular MMO games, such as Travian, Silk Road and Arabian HitMan. The company’s comprehensive service portfolio also covers mobile charge cards, movie downloads, website hosting, stocks and currency, chatting, and mobile applications, among others, Ebwini said.

Dubai World Game Expo is the largest annual gathering of the Middle East’s interactive entertainment industry.

The event comprises an expo, networking events, Dubai World Game Summit, Cosplay Show, and World Game Championship (WGC) in cooperation with World Cyber Game (WCG). It will be held in conjunction with the ‘Character Dubai’-Dubai International Character & Licensing Fair.

Launched in Saudi Arabia in 2004, OneCard is part of Mubasher, the leading provider of e-financial solutions in the region and a subsidiary of National Technology Group.

OneCard was named ‘Best Strategic e-Commerce Portal’ in the Arab World at the recent Pan Arab Web Awards, with chairman Rashid Al-Ballaa honoured as ‘IT Man of the Year’ in recognition of his contributions to the region’s IT sector.-TradeArabia News Service