Saudi Arabia is looking to make a big splash in the gaming industry, with plans to invest a whopping $38 billion. The country has ambitious goals and aims to establish itself as a global player in the gaming market. Let's take a closer look at what's behind this move and what it means for us gamers.
A Gaming Hub Emerges: Riyadh Becomes a Gaming Mecca
The Saudi government recognizes the enormous potential of the gaming industry and wants to build a gaming hub in the capital city of Riyadh. To achieve this, they are enlisting the help of the state-supported Savvy Gaming Group, which will be responsible for developing, publishing, and acquiring top-notch games in Riyadh.
Currently, there are an estimated 21 million gamers in Saudi Arabia, which is 58 percent of the population! By 2026, the gaming market in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to grow by 56 percent and reach a value of $2.79 billion. It's no wonder that the Saudi government wants to make a big move in this industry!
E-Sports in Focus: Savvy Gaming Group on Expansion Course
The Savvy Gaming Group has already made a name for itself in the e-sports industry. In a deal worth a mere $1.5 billion, they acquired e-sports companies ESL and Faceit. Despite some challenges in the e-sports market, their CEO Brian Ward believes in the potential of e-sports and wants to make money by consolidating smaller players.
What Does This Mean for Us Gamers?
With the planned investment in the gaming hub in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia could become a major player in the gaming market in the coming years. For us gamers, this could mean a plethora of new games and studios emerging from Riyadh and the Savvy Gaming Group. In the best case scenario, we will benefit from innovative games and interesting e-sports events. It remains to be seen how the project will develop and whether Saudi Arabia will truly become the new gaming giant.
Gaming and Politics: A Difficult Topic
Of course, amidst all the exciting plans, we must not forget that Saudi Arabia has been criticized for human rights violations. It remains to be seen how this will affect their collaboration with international publishers and developers. Ultimately, we gamers must decide for ourselves whether we want to support games from Saudi Arabia or not.
Let's Stay Tuned!
It will be interesting to see how the gaming hub in Riyadh develops and whether Saudi Arabia will truly become the next gaming giant. We will keep you updated on Keyfuchs as soon as there is news. Until then, keep gaming and have fun!
