As you’ve no doubt read elsewhere in this issue, the Middle Eastern market is an area of continued growth. For the last 30 years, many of the countries that make up this part of the world have invested heavily in amusement and entertainment to create an entire industry of family fun.

One company that has been there from the beginning is the London, UK-based manufacturer and distributor Electrocoin. It was one of the first international companies to exhibit at the trade show which is today known as DEAL and has a long partnership with local distributor Amusement Services International. ( Middle Eastern Market )

“We had to get machines into Dubai, which wasn’t very easy 30 years ago,” said John A Stergides, sales and marketing manager at Electrocoin. Stergides is a second−generation member of the industry, with his father founding Electrocoin in 1976. For much of that time it has been selling and installing in the Middle East, with Stergides saying that Dubai in particular has evolved beyond recognition in that time.

He said: “Dubai is all about providing leisure. People are there to work but they’re also there to enjoy themselves. Wherever there’s a shopping mall then you have entertainment elements. FECs and social game venues play a very big part in everyday life there, not just for tourists but for locals as well.

“It’s come a long way from where it was in such a short period. If you compare it with venues in the UK, they spare no expense in making them as modern as they can, featuring all of the latest attractions.”

One trip to downtown Dubai or neighbouring Abu Dhabi shows that development isn’t slowing down any time soon. In terms of amusements, Stergides says there is still space for expansion for the right operator. “I can’t see it stopping” he said. “Maybe they’re not adding as many locations as they did 10 years ago but they’ll continue to grow as more and more people move to the Middle East, especially as the countries continue to open up. ” ( Middle Eastern Market )

“The entire region is changing – look at Saudi Arabia. They see what Dubai has done and want a piece of that. They’re giving it a big push. They’ve got the World Cup in 2034 and they’re pushing themselves as not only a place to work and live, but also as a place to holiday.”

Much of the entertainment space across the UAE and Middle East is taken up by one of the large builders and operators, like Majid Al Futtaim or Landmark Group. Given that, is there space in the market for a single-site or smaller operator? Stergides believes “yes.”

He said: “I think in any growing market there’s always going to be space for smaller operators. There’s always going to be competition and there’s more manufacturers that want to get their equipment in there. That’s true for any environment – not just the Middle East.” For a market that was once dominated by the mall-based family entertainment centre, amusement in the Middle East is changing. It has latched on to the competitive socialising sector, which has seen plenty of growth in the UK and the US, with a number of bars and venues opening over recent years.

Stergides said: “I think it’s naturally moving in that direction. Family is a big market, but as laws around alcohol relax it’s only natural that they start to look at other forms of social entertainment. When I was last there you could already see that social gaming was starting to gain a foothold. It’s only natural you’re going to see these venues for young adults who aren’t attracted to the traditional FECs.”

A number of the company’s top attractions were on display at the DEAL show, including Skill Cut Winner, a skill−based prize vending machine which gives players the chance to win a huge plush prize. Hung from a string inside the machine, players must guide the cutter and time their cut to successfully free the prize from the machine.

Electrocoin’s sports games, including Mr Do’s Football Frenzy, also do well in the sport−mad region. In the game, players step into the shoes of a superstar striker, using the air blower to guide the balls into the holes before the final whistle.

Finally, with three Middle Eastern shows on the calendar for 2026, Stergides believes that one show will take the lead in future. He said: “I think one of the shows will gradually disappear or just become a local show. ( Middle Eastern Market )

“DEAL has the benefit that it’s in Dubai, which is one of the bigger markets, but in the long term one or two of the shows will become local shows and one will end up being the main international show.”

( Middle Eastern Market )

Intergame – March 2026 – Vol 32, Issue 3 – Page 73