Savvy Games Group and Roblox sign MoU to grow Saudi Arabia’s game development ecosystem

• Roblox to expand operational presence in Saudi Arabia.
• More than 700,000 students participated in related nationwide competition.
• Companies to co-develop online safety and digital literacy materials.

Savvy Games Group and Roblox have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand game development opportunities and grow creative talent in Saudi Arabia.

Under the agreement, Savvy will help Roblox establish an operational presence in the region, bringing dedicated developer relations expertise into the country to work directly with Saudi-based developers and studios. 

Local creators will gain access to Roblox tools and resources for localised training, community building, and technical support, alongside upskilling workshops and tailored competitions delivered through the Roblox Creator Hub.

Roblox will directly support Saudi developers in turning winning concepts from a nationwide grassroots competition, involving over 700,000 high school students, into playable games. 

Education at the centre

The collaboration places a heavy emphasis on education, building on Savvy's existing partnership with the Ministry of Education. Both parties will also co-develop materials on online safety, parental controls, and digital literacy with the Ministry.

“Saudi Arabia’s games sector continues to grow at pace, alongside rising interest in game development as a career path and an avenue for entrepreneurship," said Savvy Games Group CEO Brian Ward. 

“We are pleased to partner with Roblox to encourage more Saudi students to utilise development tools, fostering creativity and equipping emerging talent with the resources and support to help succeed in this rapidly evolving industry."

Roblox co-founder and CEO Dave Baszucki commented: “Our vision at Roblox is to reimagine the way people come together, enabling anyone, anywhere to become a creator by lowering the technical barriers to entry traditionally associated with game development. 

“Today’s announcement with Savvy Games 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.”

The partnership comes as Roblox continues to face scrutiny in several countries, including Kuwait, Russia and Egypt, alongside investigations and concerns raised by Australian authorities over child safety and platform moderation. 

However, the company has since introduced expanded safety measures, including a Global Parent Council and mandatory age verification for chat features.