NEOM, the sustainable development project in northwest Saudi Arabia, has announced the five game studios chosen for funding through its annual gaming accelerator called ‘Level Up’. Along with these five studios, 18 more studios will take part in an initial mentorship phase, making this cycle of Level Up the biggest so far.
Level Up is run by NEOM Gaming and is the longest-running gaming accelerator in Saudi Arabia. It is part of the National Gaming & Esports Strategy under Saudi Vision 2030. With the gaming sector expected to contribute over SAR 50 billion ($13.33 billion) to the country’s GDP by 2030, the accelerator helps Saudi game start-ups grow and overcome the challenges of running a game studio.
In the first competitive phase, 23 studios received mentorship on different aspects of game development. From these, the five strongest studios were selected to receive funding. Each of these studios will also get seven more months of mentorship, totaling 600 hours, to help accelerate their game launches.
The selected studios will also gain access to NEOM’s global Publisher Partner Network, which includes companies like Kwalee from the UK and Tamatem Games, a leading mobile games publisher in the MENA region. This network will help studios expand their reach and succeed on a global scale.
The five Saudi game studios chosen for the next phase of the program are:
Aiqona Productions: A creative studio that mixes animation, storytelling, and interactive game design to make fun and engaging games.
Fourcast Studio: A leading indie game studio in Saudi Arabia, currently working on a social PC multiplayer game with new and unique gameplay ideas.
Makera: A studio that lets players and communities create and shape their own games using special tools and platforms.
OFF BOX Studios: A new Saudi game studio focused on making innovative and immersive gaming experiences.
Phys: A studio that creates high-quality games with a focus on technology, design, and games that encourage children to move and exercise.
Toby Evan-Jones, Executive Director and Head of Gaming at NEOM, said, “Over the past three years, NEOM’s Level Up Accelerator has been instrumental in supporting Saudi Arabia’s first generation of game developers through pre-seed funding and mentorship. This latest cycle builds on that success and reflects NEOM’s commitment to empowering talented studios who bring fresh thinking to the Kingdom’s gaming ecosystem. We’re proud to be playing a key role in driving forward the National Gaming & Esports Strategy and building sustainable, globally competitive businesses as part of Saudi Vision 2030.”
Sultan Alobaishi, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, said: “The Level Up Accelerator powered by NEOM is a pillar of our gaming ecosystem, equipping startups with the tools, mentorship and global exposure to thrive. Since 2023, it has become the ideal next step for teams graduating from MCIT’s incubation programs, creating a seamless pipeline that transforms early ideas into globally competitive studios. The results speak for themselves: young Saudi startups are now winning awards, attracting investment and emerging as successful companies.”
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