Canada games developer to open studio in Saudi Arabia

A Canada-based games developer is planning to set up a studio in Riyadh, Saudi Arabiam with the aim of making the first AAA titles in the Gulf region.

According to a press release issued yesterday, Artisan Studios Inc. of Quebec City entered into an agreement with the kingdom’s Ministry of Investment (MISA) to open “the largest foreign-owned game development studios in the Kingdom, marking a first in the region for the independent game developer.”

The company, which specialises in creating premium role-playing games plans to employ over 200 developers in its new offices and “collaborate with local artists from across the region to create new IPs to export globally.”

In a statement, Artisan CEO Mario Rizzo said: “Riyadh has one of the most dynamic and exciting independent game development communities. After spending the last two years exploring the region, we knew it would be the best place to build a new studio.”

“The support we have received from the Ministry has been world-class, and they have made us feel welcome in the Kingdom. We are honoured to be the first developer invited to set up in Riyadh and look forward to building amazing new games together.”

Hello everyone, as you know we have a new game in development and we like to keep you on your toes. Artisan also has a new studio we have announced here:

Wait until you see what we show next month. #studio #MENA #Riyadh #gamedevelopment https://t.co/J43bF4qLhh

— Artisan Studios (@StudiosArtisan) October 25, 2023

In response to a query about the ongoing turmoil in the wider region with Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Artisan said: “The conflict in Gaza and Israel took us by surprise and did not factor into our decision making as the attacks happened after we had finalised our decision to set up in Riyadh. Thus far we have not had to work through this issue as we don’t anticipate the KSA or the larger region will be drawn into the conflict.”

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“We are of course keeping an eye on the situation as it develops and we will do what is necessary to ensure the safety of our team but the international perception that the conflict could engulf the region is not shared by the governments and people in MENA. Statistically, it’s safer for me to live in Riyadh or Dubai than it is in San Francisco right now.”

Meanwhile, Saleh Khabti, deputy of investment transactions at MISA, said in a statement: “Saudi Arabia offers investors such as Artisan access to the fast-growing Saudi market, the largest in the region, providing an excellent platform to access regional growth opportunities across the Middle East.”

“Our journey to USD 2.5 Bn gaming sector market size by 2030 is assisted by the IGNITE program to attract digital content companies and help grow local media and content creation sector for our young and tech savvy population.”

The IGNITE initiative was launched last year by the Digital Content Council with an investment of $1.1 billion to facilitate the growth of the digital entertainment sector, including gaming. This is in accordance with the country’s Vision2030, spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to diversify the Saudi economy away from its reliance on oil.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has been making inroads in the gaming industry, with notable acquisitions and investments of high-profile developers by the country’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Earlier this year, Savvy Gaming Group (SGG), a subsidiary of the PIF, announced that it will be investing $38 billion in the local online gaming industry. In September 2022, SGG unveiled plans to set aside $13.3 billion to acquire “a leading game publisher to become a strategic development partner.”

READ: MENA games market projected to exceed $5bn by 2025