Livewire partners with Dubai Media to Unveil Power in Play – UAE: New Study Reveals How Gaming Shapes Identity, Culture, and Brand Influence Across Emiratis and Expats.

Livewire, the global gaming marketing company building the next-gen attention platform, today released Power in Play – UAE, a first-of-its-kind study examining how gaming shapes belonging, identity, and cultural expression across the Emirates. Conducted in partnership with Dubai Media and based on responses from 600 gamers across the UAE, the study exposes distinct behavioral and identity differences between Emirati nationals and expatriate communities—while highlighting gaming’s growing influence as a mental-health outlet, cultural touchpoint, and commercially powerful media channel.

With 7.3 million gamers in the UAE, gaming has moved well beyond niche entertainment. It is a nationwide, multicultural ecosystem that brings together Emiratis and expats from South Asian, Southeast Asian, Arab, and Western backgrounds. Across these groups, then research shows a clear, consistent theme: gaming is not passive media—it is identity, connection, and culture. Key findings from the study include:

• Gaming is a lifeline, not a leisure activity: 87% of UAE gamers use gaming to cope with stress, anxiety, or depression, far outpacing Western markets. Gaming is viewed as emotional grounding—a place for stability and self-regulation in a fast-moving region.

• Identity in gaming is stronger—and more nuanced—than in the West, and UAE gamers exhibit some of the strongest identity alignment globally. 84% say gaming-related identity elements (platforms, genres, franchises, time spent) are central to how they express themselves—*versus just 55% in Western markets. Yet only 20% call themselves a “gamer” outside gameplay moments, revealing significant identity elasticity. Labels shift depending on context, setting, and audience.
  

• Culture drives play—and players expect brands to reflect it: 70% intentionally choose games that represent their culture. 58% believe more can be done to represent their cultural background in and around gaming—highlighting unmet demand across nationality, religion, and lived experience.
  

• Emiratis and Expats define “gamer” differently:
  84% of Emiratis are comfortable with the term gamer. 90% of expats prefer softer, lifestyle-oriented labels such as player or casual gamer. This duality creates unique targeting and creative requirements for brands operating in the UAE.
  

• Gaming evolves across life stages—positively: 66% say major life changes (marriage, moving, parenthood, financial shifts) increased their engagement with gaming—a stronger trend than in Western regions. Gaming becomes a source of comfort, continuity, and community through change.
  

• Gaming outperforms social media as a brand touchpoint, with UAE gamers rewarding brands that show up well in gaming environments: 70% say brands feel more relevant in-game than on social platforms. 69% say they are more likely to buy from brands they encounter in games.

In a fragmented media landscape, gaming has emerged as one of the UAE’s most effective channels for brand discovery and conversion.

Power in Play – UAE surveyed 601 gamers across the UAE using Pure Spectrum, with demographic representation across Emiratis and major expatriate communities. Data collection ran from August to September 2025 and included detailed attitudinal, identity, cultural, and behavioural measures.

The launch of Power in Play builds on Livewire’s category-defining research portfolio, including the Next Gen Attention Study, which reframed how marketers approach Gen Z and Gen Alpha attention. Together, these reports cement Livewire’s role as the operating system for brands to navigate gaming as the dominant entertainment channel of today.