The Middle East is often associated with political turmoil by Westerners, but U.K.-based Eidos sees the region as an opportunity to reach more gamers, according to a report in Dubai publication Xpress.

“The Middle East is definitely an emerging market for the gaming industry," said Eidos product acquisition director Ian Livingstone, who's also known for his contributions to Tomb Raider and Lara Croft.

Livingstone, who was attending the Middle Eastern game conference GAMES08, added, "People here have a large amount of disposable income making them ideal consumers. Gaming is as important culturally as movies and music.”

Livingstone and Tim Stokes, director of sales and marketing for Sony PlayStation Sony Gulf estimate the current Middle Eastern games market to be at $750 million (£406 million), according to the report.

GAMES 08 featured numerous Western game makers including Eidos, Sony, Microsoft, EA, Activision Blizzard, Take-Two, Midway, Sega and THQ. This year's conference ran last week at the Grand Hyatt Dubai (pictured), with days dedicated to trade, followed by a public event.