Saudi Arabia’s games and esports industry is a story the world should watch

Just over three years ago, Savvy Games Group — now part of Saudi Arabia’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy — was established with a bold vision from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: To lead global sector investment while building Saudi Arabia into a global hub for games and esports.

For me, after decades in the games industry, the first mandate was compelling — but the second really stood out. The prospect of helping to shape an entire national ecosystem and building from the ground up a future for games and esports that could help transform a country, was an opportunity few — if any — in our industry have ever been presented with.

Critical to this has been attracting publishers, brands, investors and other players in the sector to work with us to help create this ecosystem. Over these exciting three years, my colleagues and I have visited China, South Korea, Sweden, Brazil, the US, the EU and the UK — all of which have thriving and dynamic games and esports industries. Those meetings have provided a fascinating external perspective of the challenges they see but, crucially, the key attributes that make Saudi Arabia such an attractive partner. These can be summarized across three broad themes.

 The power of a shared vision

One of the most compelling points we have heard from these discussions is around the value of collaboration across government and the broader ecosystem. Transforming Saudi Arabia into a global games and esports hub requires more than the efforts of any one organization — it demands a shared vision and collective action.

When meeting international companies and other stakeholders, I often point out that Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that has a national strategy for games and esports. This is a key driving force behind how everyone in the domestic sector is pulling in the same direction, with eyes clearly focused on a common set of goals.

It also demonstrates leadership and signals a long-term commitment to the growth of the industry. This is particularly clear in esports, where the sector’s success rests on creating a space where players in the industry — from clubs to teams to players — can thrive economically and professionally. If those core participants cannot sustain themselves, then we lose the ability to attract new fans, retain old ones and build the audiences that fuel esports’ growth. We firmly believe that esports is the next global sport and presents a tremendous opportunity for publishers, communities and brands to stay relevant and deepen their connection to fans and players.

This is where Saudi Arabia’s long-term vision and commitment come into play. Thanks to the hard work of the country’s leadership, the Ministry of Sport, the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the Saudi Esports Federation, the Esports Worldcup Foundation, and several other stakeholders, the International Olympic Committee has announced that Saudi Arabia will host the inaugural Olympic Esports Games in Riyadh, creating a powerful link between digitally engaged natives and the world’s most watched sporting institution, underscoring esports’ emergence as a true mainstream sport.

 The opportunity of localization

In our conversations, many global players had not appreciated the opportunity of localizing content to fit cultural preferences.

In meetings, it has been important to explain that with almost 332.5 million native Arabic speakers (Ethnologue), there is a vast potential audience for localized content, events and experiences. Traditionally in the games and esports sector, localization was often equated with translation. But that definition hides the full value of content that is not just in the Arabic language, but which also speaks to the Arab experience. Studies show that Gulf gamers overwhelmingly prefer Arabic-language content and look for Arab characters and stories in the games they play.

The recent Pokemon GO community event, which took place in Boulevard City, attracted more than 5,000 fans to celebrate the game’s official launch in Saudi Arabia. This event underlined how brands can deepen connections with their local communities, and demonstrated how well players respond when games are given the right marketing treatment and localization focus.

Looking to the future, just as China and Japan have successfully told their history and lore through games, there is a huge opportunity to do so using the ancient lore and heritage of Saudi Arabia. When done authentically using a top-tier development team, such as this year’s breakout hit from China, Black Myth Wukong, showed us that these stories can have appeal worldwide across cultures and boundaries.

 A strategic approach to infrastructure investment

Initially, some potential partners have questioned if MENA’s young market had the infrastructure to support a domestic ecosystem.

Our response to this is to highlight how infrastructure is only part of the story. In Saudi Arabia, physical infrastructure, cutting-edge technology and grassroots development have been coordinated to establish the foundations of a multi-faceted, world-leading games and esports ecosystem that can set the standard for the region and beyond.

At Qiddiya City, the Gaming and Esports District is under development as the world’s first urban district dedicated to the sector. Once launched, it will attract investment to deliver a world-class in-person experience for players and fans.

In addition to venues, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is ensuring that Saudi Arabia has the digital infrastructure to support the sector’s rapid growth. The Source Tech Initiative, the second phase of which was launched by the ministry this summer, is improving local server capacity and cloud infrastructure, reducing latency, and improving overall player experience across the region.

Another question was about the domestic talent pipeline. This is undoubtedly one of the hardest points to address because, as I regularly point out, you can’t train a game developer or esports athlete overnight. But even here, we’re already seeing the benefits of the wide-ranging approach across the full value chain. Ancillary careers in everything from production to quality assurance are being created, which give fresh graduates their experience of the sector and in turn expands the talent base for international businesses moving in.

Three years on from the start of our journey, the esports market in MENA and Saudi Arabia is fast becoming one of the most vibrant in the world. With more than 70 million gamers, the MENA-3 region ranks among the world’s largest games and esports markets and is the second fastest-growing region globally. Saudi Arabia is the driving force behind this growth, a nation with more than 24 million gamers — representing 67 percent of the population — and $1.18 billion (Niko Partners) in revenue generated in 2024, which accounts for 58.3 percent of the MENA-3 region’s games revenue. By 2026, the market is projected to reach $1.36 billion, underlining its tremendous growth potential.

Savvy itself has achieved some remarkable milestones. What began with just me as the sole employee has now grown into one of the top 10 largest companies in the sector, with more than 3,500 employees worldwide. Our business unit, Scopely, is one of the leading mobile game companies in the world and the creator of the award-winning MONOPOLY GO! With more than 600 million players and fans, we are among the largest digital communities worldwide. Additionally, through ESL FACEIT Group, which successfully operated the inaugural Esports World Cup, we have become the global leader in esports by market share.

During my career, I have seen different markets evolve and grow, but never have I seen such a quick transformation. There is much still to do, but where once international companies hesitated, they increasingly see Saudi Arabia as a partner of choice — a place where ambition is matched by action, and where the long-term vision has led to genuine collaboration between each actor.

For me, it is deeply rewarding to see Savvy contribute to the growth of this ecosystem alongside such a vibrant and forward-thinking community. As Saudi Arabia’s games and esports industry continues to evolve, the door remains open to partners from around the world to witness this transformation firsthand and play a role in shaping the next chapter of this dynamic and rapidly growing sector.

 • Brian Ward is the CEO of Savvy Games Group.