Saudi Arabia Set to Host Kingdom of Gaming Conference in 2026

A major gaming conference is slated to take place in Saudi Arabia in 2026. The Kingdom of Gaming conference, scheduled for December 1-3 in Riyadh, is being organized by Tahaluf, a joint venture between Informa, the organizer of the Game Developers Conference, and the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones. The conference anticipates over 20,000 participants, 300 exhibitors and sponsors, 500 game development studios, more than 50 startups, and 200 investors, with the potential for 25 investment and publishing deals to emerge from the event. According to Annabelle Mander, EVP of Tahaluf, 'The Kingdom of Gaming represents Tahaluf's next major global brand, a platform aligned with Vision 2030 to accelerate the Kingdom's creative economy.' Mander added that Riyadh is transitioning from a gaming market to a hub for game development, creating an ecosystem that fosters the emergence of new intellectual properties, talent, and opportunities. Saudi Arabia has been striving to become a key player in the global gaming industry, with significant investments in top gaming companies such as Take-Two, Nintendo, and Capcom through the Public Investment Fund. The country also owns stakes in companies like Niantic, ESL Faceit, and Scopely through its gaming and esports investment arm, Savvy Games Group. In 2023, it was reported that the Public Investment Fund planned to invest $38 billion in the gaming industry via Savvy Games Group. More recently, the Public Investment Fund announced its intention to acquire Electronic Arts, a major US game publisher, for $55 billion, with the PIF set to hold a 93.4% stake in the company upon completion of the deal.