Roblox has announced plans to open a headquarters in Riyadh to support its creator program in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
As Pocket Gamer reports, the initiative is supported by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment, the Riyadh Creative District, and the General Authority of Media Regulation.
“Our decision to establish our regional headquarters in Riyadh is a reflection of Roblox’s long-term investment in Saudi Arabia and our commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s digital economy objectives under Vision 2030,” said Roblox GM for MENA and Türkiye, Mohamed El Sheakh.
“Building on our partnerships in Saudi Arabia across education, creator development, and the gaming ecosystem, we look forward to investing in programming that will support Saudi Arabia’s goal to become a global hub for gaming.”
This decision follows a partnership with Savvy Games Group, announced earlier this year, to introduce Roblox’s tools and developer support to the region’s gaming infrastructure.
Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki described the partnership as a way to “enable anyone anywhere to become a creator by lowering the technical barriers to entry traditionally associated with game development.”
“[The partnership] will help realise that vision for creators across Saudi Arabia and align with the growth of the Kingdom’s creator ecosystem under Vision 2030.”
“We firmly believe that investing in high-quality, educational opportunities for the next generation of Saudis will contribute to the Kingdom’s rapidly growing digital economy.”
Roblox’s expanded presence supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and enhance the country’s global image.
The plan includes significant investments in sectors such as video games, with goals to establish 250 games and esports companies and create 39,000 jobs by 2030.