Gate2play bring Zynga Game Cards to the Middle East and North Africa

by wamda, September 6, 2011

Today Jordan-based payment gateway Gate2play announced a new partnership with social game giant Zynga, to bring Zynga game cards to the Middle East and North Africa. In a region where many online gamers still shy away from using credit cards, Zynga game cards- which will be sold in denominations of $US2, $US5, and $US10- will offer gamers a convenient way to buy virtual goods in their favorite games, such as Empires & Allies, Farmville, CityVille, and Mafia Wars.

Muhannad Ebwini, Chief Executive of Gate2Play, states that very few online users in the MENA region use credit cards, with the majority preferring alternate payment methods such as pre-paid cards, bank transfers, and SMS / Mobile payment --especially if they are available in small currency values.

The partnership marks Zynga's entry into the Middle East, and a great boost for Gate2Play, as Zynga is the single largest social gaming company, boasting over 262 million users monthly, and three applications ranking in the top five most-played applications globally. Its newest game Empires & Allies was launched in 12 languages and is the company’s first combat strategy game.

“The pace at which the Middle East’s social gaming market is growing represents a significant opportunity for both Gate2Play and Zynga,” said Ebwini.

Gate2Play will be making Zynga Game Cards available for the first time in 16 countries within the region including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, the UAE, and Yemen.