The UAE’s media industry pulled in billions across gaming and cinema in 2025, new government figures show.
The UAE’s media industry had a strong year in 2025. Gaming alone brought in AED 2.7 billion, cinemas cleared more than AED 734 million at the box office, and the government licensed over 15,000 advertisers. The National Media Authority released the numbers on Monday, covering gaming, cinema, publishing, and content creation. Together they offer one of the clearest pictures yet of how fast the country’s entertainment and content businesses are expanding, and how closely the state is now tracking them.
Gaming was the standout. Digital gaming platforms generated AED 2.7 billion over the year, keeping it among the fastest-growing parts of the country’s media scene. The number of games reviewed and rated under UAE standards also climbed sharply, reaching 552 in 2025 against 375 the year before. That is a rise of close to 50 percent in a single year. The jump reflects both heavier consumer demand and a wider classification net, as more titles pass through official review before reaching players in the country.
UAE Cinema Box Office Passes AED 734 Million
Cinemas had a busy year of their own. Box office revenue topped AED 734 million, built on more than 14.8 million tickets sold. Around 1,270 films screened nationwide during the year, spanning Hollywood releases, regional productions, and titles from other markets. The ticket count works out to an average of roughly 12,000 admissions per film, and it keeps the UAE among the busier cinema markets in the region. For a country of its size, the figures point to a moviegoing habit that has held up even as streaming has grown.
UAE Publishing and Advertiser Permits Climb
Away from the screen, the print and digital side grew too. Authorities issued more than 100,000 permits for publishing and book circulation in 2025, and close to 1.2 million titles reached the UAE market over the year, a measure of how much reading material is moving through the country.
The bigger regulatory shift came in advertising. Since the authority introduced advertiser permits last year, it has issued more than 15,000 of them. The system is meant to bring digital advertising under clearer rules at a time when influencers, brands, and agencies are spending heavily online. Officials said the goal was to make the space more transparent and to give creators and companies a defined framework to operate within, rather than leaving online promotion loosely policed.
Mohammed Saeed Al Shehhi, vice chairman of the National Media Authority, said the year’s results show the sector turning into a genuine economic contributor rather than a side industry. He credited rising investment and the spread of creative businesses across gaming, film, publishing, and online content for the growth. He added that the authority intends to keep updating its rules and digital services to match how fast the sector is moving, and to keep the UAE attractive to media companies and investors looking for a regional base.
The throughline across all four areas is scale. Gaming and cinema brought in billions between them, publishing moved more than a million titles, and the government is now licensing creators and advertisers in numbers that barely existed two years ago. For a sector the UAE has openly tried to grow, 2025 reads as a year the strategy started showing up in the figures.
