It’s widely recognised that positive economic or technological stories from the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region often focus on Saudi Arabia or the UAE. However, amidst the conflicts and various outliers in the region, a new “tiger” economy is emerging in North Africa, specifically Morocco, which is poised to make its move.
And the news of the launch of “Rabat Gaming City,” set to become the e-sports and gaming capital of the entire continent, has caught people off guard.
The USD 500 Million Powerhouse
The Arab world loves video games, and Morocco is no exception. But it has evolved beyond a niche hobby pursued by teenagers in internet cafes. We’re talking about a USD 500 million market that the government intends to double by 2030.
The Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication has identified gaming as a strategic pillar for what they’re branding the “Arab Youth Economy.” This makes demographic sense when you consider that over 60% of Morocco’s population sits under the age of 30.
The Cornerstone Of This Strategy?
“Rabat Gaming City” is set to welcome its first major cohort of startups and studios in February 2026. Picture this: a 20-hectare industrial park functioning as a dedicated ecosystem. It is going to house a full-scale production studio for game development and provide incubation spaces where indie developers can transform their dream ideas into playable experiences. And it’s going to train talent at specialised centres focused on coding, 3D animation, and AI-driven game design.
What separates Morocco’s approach from typical government tech initiatives is that they haven’t just constructed the physical space and hoped developers would magically appear. This is no fluke, as the Moroccan government created these market conditions by tying 5G licensing agreements to infrastructure investments in the gaming sector. Morocco successfully attracted interest from global powerhouses like Ubisoft and Tencent.
What’s drawing these companies? Certainly, the fiscal incentives help. Tax breaks for exporters of digital services sweeten the deal. But there’s something more fundamental at play: access to lower-cost, highly skilled, multilingual talent. Morocco’s workforce speaks Arabic, French, and increasingly English. For a global gaming company, that’s linguistic gold.
The 2026 Morocco Gaming Expo, held in Rabat, showcased the tangible results of this strategy. Over 20,000 attendees packed the venues. Hundreds of exhibitors displayed their work. The event demonstrated how Morocco is positioning itself as a bridge, connecting the European gaming market with the burgeoning African player base. That’s not just clever positioning. It’s geographical arbitrage turned into industrial policy.
The Economic Ripple Effect
The impact of Rabat Gaming City cascades far beyond software development. The “gaming economy” in Morocco is triggering a surge in complementary infrastructure. Local 5G networks are expanding rapidly. Cloud computing demand is skyrocketing. Digital payment fintechs are proliferating to serve gamers who need seamless transactions.
Morocco has made a game plan that should be taught in geo-economics and business classes. It focused on high-tech, creative sectors and leaned into its strengths. This shows how nations can diversify away from traditional industries like agriculture and tourism, pivoting instead into the high-margin world of global entertainment. And they’re doing it without the massive oil wealth that typically funds such transformations.
When historians write about the energy transition, 2026 will occupy a special chapter. This is the year green hydrogen transformed from an expensive experiment into a regulatory necessity. The shift is being catalysed by the first wave of “green procurement” mandates rolling out in major economies. India’s 2026 Budget policies are leading the charge, and they’re changing the game.
For years, the green hydrogen industry suffered from a classic “chicken-and-egg” problem. Producers refused to build without committed buyers. Buyers refused to commit without lower prices. This standoff paralysed the sector.
In 2026, the Indian government shattered this deadlock with elegant simplicity. It mandated that 10 to 15% of steel and cement used in public infrastructure projects (highways, bridges, railways) must originate from units powered by green hydrogen.
Think about what this accomplishes. It creates “bankable” demand measured in millions of tons annually. For private investors who previously viewed green hydrogen as too risky, this eliminates the dreaded “offtake risk” that made projects nearly impossible to finance. With the government functioning as a guaranteed buyer, the industry is experiencing a massive de-risking of capital. Money is flowing in.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) pushed hard for these mandates to be paired with “viability gap funding.” This bridges the initial cost differential between “grey” (fossil-fuel-based) and “green” hydrogen. The strategy is working.
Throughout 2026, we’re witnessing the commissioning of massive electrolyser plants. Take AM Green’s USD 10-billion project in India’s Kakinada. It’s nearing a critical construction milestone, with plans to produce green ammonia and hydrogen at a scale that rivals traditional petrochemical plants.