According to foreign media gamesIndustry, Saudi Arabia's tech hub city construction project Neom today announced the formation of a joint venture with MBC Group, the largest media company in the Mena and North Africa region, to create the region's first AAA-level game development studio.
Last year, Saudi Arabia planned to build a city in the desert that is different from other places on earth. In the project plan, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the coastal strip city of Neom, 170 kilometres northwest of the country, has achieved car-free and street-free emissions with zero carbon emissions. A new smart city called The Line will be built locally before 2030 to enter a new economic era for the Kingdom.
As for the announced AAA game studio, there are currently no developers involved in the project, but Neom said the studio is currently incubating with developers from around the world and will focus on Neom's media hub next year.
Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of Neom, said the convergence between the gaming and media industries is becoming more and more extensive, so he wants to help it grow by building a platform.
According to Saudi Arabia's pre-2030 plan, the studio was established to create an environment that fosters creativity, inspires entrepreneurship and talent development. Create future-oriented career paths and job opportunities for the public.
While Neom is eager to grow Saudi Arabia's gaming industry, it has also been controversial. In 2020, it was declared the main sponsor of the League of Legends European Championship summer season, but riot games canceled its partnership with Neom the day after the official announcement of the news due to allegations by Saudi Arabian authorities that forcibly expelled and killed members of the Huwaiti tribe to clear the way.