HYS Games CEO Husam Suwaid on growing beyond mobile and pursuing triple-A creativity

• Originally founded in Yemen, HYS Games relocated its headquarters to Saudi Arabia.
• The studio employs over 15 team members across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
• The move aligns with Saudi Arabia’s growing vision for a global games hub.
• HYS Games has achieved more than 15 million downloads worldwide.

Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan returns on November 8th and 9th, 2025, offering a chance to gain insights into the world’s fastest-growing games market, MENA.

As part of our MENA coverage and run-up to the event, we spoke to HYS Games CEO and co-founder Husam Suwaid about developing the studio’s first flagship vehicle combat title, relocating from Yemen to Saudi Arabia, and building one of the region’s next big IPs.

PocketGamer.biz: Could you tell us a bit about HYS Games and what you’re up to right now?

Husam Suwaid: HYS Games is a resilient and ambitious studio driven by a passion to create high-quality experiences played by millions.

We’re currently developing our next flagship project, a high-octane vehicle combat game for PC and consoles, which we believe has the potential to become the next big IP in its genre.

How many staff do you currently employ, and where are they based?

Gaming has been my passion since childhood, and I always knew that achieving my vision would require building a dream team.

Today, HYS Games is powered by a diverse group of over 15 dedicated talents spread across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, each bringing their own expertise and energy to our shared mission.

You've developed games for PC (Steam), iOS, and Android. How do you decide which platform to target for a new game?

We started our journey in mobile gaming, collaborating with some of the world’s top publishers like Homa and Voodoo. Those partnerships helped us master fast-paced development and data-driven design.

Now, with our strategic presence in Saudi Arabia, we’re pursuing our lifelong passion by developing our first large-scale flagship title for PC and console.

As Yemen's “first game studio”, what factors led to the decision to relocate your headquarters to Saudi Arabia? Could you share the opportunities it presents for your company's growth?

Saudi Arabia’s vision aligns perfectly with ours; both aim to build a thriving games hub in the region.

The Kingdom’s strong belief in our capabilities and its rapidly growing ecosystem provide us with the support and opportunities we need to scale our ambitions and achieve the success we’ve always targeted.

You’ve achieved over 15m downloads. How have your games been received internationally outside the MENA region?

Through our partnerships with top publishers and a data-driven approach to design, we’ve been able to tap into global trends and player behaviours. 

This helped us craft experiences that resonate not just in MENA but worldwide, resulting in millions of downloads and strong engagement across international markets.

Talk to us about your partnerships with international publishers. How did those relationships come about, and are you actively seeking out publishers?

We’ll always be grateful to the publishers who believed in us early on. They recognised our passion and potential, supported our growth, and together we achieved commercial success that exceeded expectations.

For our current project, which is in early production, we’re looking to partner with a publisher that shares our vision and is ready to champion this game as a flagship title in its genre.

What do you see as the current opportunities and challenges facing game studios in the MENA region? 

Unfortunately, we had to close our Yemen studio due to the difficult situation there. However, with our new headquarters in Saudi Arabia, we’re exploring tremendous opportunities within a fast-evolving ecosystem.

The direction Saudi Arabia is taking in games and entertainment aligns strongly with our goals, offering a stable and visionary environment for growth.

In terms of funding and support for game studios, what has been your experience navigating the funding landscape? And how do you think small studios can attract investment?

For any studio, clarity and focus are key. Whether a team specialises in development, publishing, or both, investors need to see a clear roadmap, where the studio is heading, what it stands for, and how it plans to grow.

Having that vision, supported by tangible milestones and consistency, is what attracts meaningful investment.

What are your plans for the rest of 2025 and the coming year? Will you be exploring new platforms? And are there any specific initiatives or projects on the horizon that we should look forward to?

Our focus right now is fully on our next flagship project. We’re pushing hard through production and preparing for an exciting reveal next year, which will include our first public beta release. It’s a big step for us and one we can’t wait to share with players around the world.