Jordanian developer puts Arabic apps at gamers’ fingertips

AMMAN — Tamatem, a leading Jordanian mobile game developer and publisher, is looking to expand its entrepreneurial horizons in the MENA region and on a global level this year.

“We place emphasis on key metrics which help us analyse our performance and grow Tamatem to the next level,” Tamatem’s Founder and CEO Hussam Hammo said.

Hammo, a computer science graduate, told The Jordan times on Monday that the company started with the vision to localise mobile games, as there is a shortage of Arabic content.

Although Arabic is one of the most-spoken languages in the world, he noted, Arabic digital content accounts for only 1 per cent of the total international digital content.

“It has been a great opportunity to publish Arabic content in this industry,” the CEO said.

Launched in 2013, Tamatem utilised “entrepreneurial creativity and innovative projects”, in addition to market evaluations, to both launch and operate games catering to Arab gamers and localise internationally published mobile games, Hammo said.

The company cooperates with international developers to create “major breakthroughs” in the rising industry that are relevant to the region’s cultural context, he added.

“Making the games culturally relevant for Arabs is not about cutting out parts of the game given cultural sensitivities, as most people think. Instead, the localisation process alters and translates the storylines, records Arabic audio, uses local names and markets the games… to create an enjoyable gaming experience,” Hammo said.

The CEO highlighted the growth of the mobile game market in the region, adding that Gulf states, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, “have the highest average per paying user across the globe”. 

Tamatem’s services include user acquisition, monetisation and game localisation “to boost games to the top of the industry’s charts”, according to the company’s website.

The company has won a number of awards, including the best Jordanian small- or medium-sized enterprise in October 2017.  

Since its launch, there have been 75 million downloads of the company’s gaming apps, and currently, there are 500,000 active users on a daily basis, Hammo noted.

This year, the company’s main objectives are to contribute more successful games to an Arab and international audience, and to develop its business model to increase profits.