iGaming Business – Mobile social gaming company PlayPhone is to expand its services into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region after it entered into a partnership with Saudi Arabian mobile operator Mobily.

Under the deal, PlayPhone will launch its PlayZone social game store to Mobily’s customer base across the region, which comprises almost 200 million mobile subscribers.

The rollout will begin in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates before being expanded to more countries in the near future.

Playzone features PlayPhone’s latest gaming platform update, which provides a number of advanced mobile social gaming features such as players being able to see what games their friends are playing, download the game if they do not already have it and challenge others to play.

The platform also offers secure direct carrier billing and can be personalised to each player’s gaming habits and their friends’ habits.

“Not only does PlayZone offer Mobily a real stake in the mobile gaming business, it allows PlayPhone to expand to the Middle East,” PlayPhone chief marketing officer Anders Evju said.

“This is the perfect audience to take advantage of our newest social gaming experience.”

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