Savvy’s long-term objective is to drive the long-term growth and development of the games and esports sectors in Saudi Arabia.
WEMADE has signed an MOU with Nine66, a Savvy Games Group (“Savvy”) company, to drive the development of the gaming industry in Saudi Arabia. Savvy’s long-term objective is to drive the long-term growth and development of the games and esports sectors in Saudi Arabia. The group consists of five independent entities covering areas such as game development, esports, investments and more.
Saudi Arabia is already a leader in the Middle East’s gaming market, with over 80% of its 36 million population identifying as gamers. Recent government-led strategic initiatives are expected to have a positive impact on the Saudi gaming industry in the years to come. WEMADE is one of the most well established South Korean gaming companies of over 22 years of history. The publicly traded company behind MMORPG “The Legend of Mir” series accumulated millions of users globally and has a growing user base in the Middle East.
Through this partnership, WEMADE has committed to supporting the local gaming ecosystem by providing training and educational content, as well as collaborating with Saudi game developers. Additionally, the partnership will explore various programs aimed at knowledge transfer, sponsorship of regional events, and expanding networks in the region to help grow the Saudi gaming industry and create new opportunities for developers and gamers alike.
The announcement comes as a follow up from official meetings during the LEAP Tech Conference that took place between February 6 to 9 in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy has set in motion a set of initiatives as a national effort to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy. As part of its mandate, Savvy is also set to invest USD 37.8 billion in the games industry.
WEMADE recently launched its new flagship game MIR M Global on January 31, which currently tops the ranks of video games in RPG category in multiple Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia. The partnership with Nine66 is one of the company’s latest moves in the region. In January, WEMADE announced the establishment of a subsidiary in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and plans to open another branch in the MENA region and work with local projects and companies. At the same time, Nine66 is driving growth and success in the region’s gaming industry through a range of initiatives and partnerships, such as publishing, incubator and accelerator programs, training and events, as well as supporting virtual and real-life game development communities.
