Roblox has revealed that it will be establishing a new regional headquarters in Riyadh, a step designed to bolster its creator ecosystem across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The announcement, which was highlighted by Pocket Gamer, underscores a collaborative effort that includes backing from the Saudi Ministry of Investment, the Riyadh Creative District, and the General Authority for Media Regulation. "Our decision to locate our regional hub in Riyadh reflects Roblox's enduring commitment to Saudi Arabia and our dedication to advancing the Kingdom's digital‑economy goals outlined in Vision 2030," explained Mohamed El Sheakh, Roblox's General Manager for MENA and Turkey.
"By building on existing partnerships in Saudi Arabia—spanning education, creator development, and the broader gaming landscape—we are eager to invest in programs that will help Saudi Arabia achieve its ambition of becoming a world‑class gaming hub." The Riyadh office will serve as a central point for nurturing local talent, providing technical resources, and facilitating collaborations between Roblox and Saudi educational institutions, startups, and established game studios. It will also act as a conduit for the company's global creator tools, allowing developers in the region to tap into Roblox's extensive library of assets, scripting languages, and monetisation options.
This initiative follows a strategic alliance announced earlier in the year with Savvy Games Group, a Saudi‑based venture that aims to integrate Roblox's development platform into the Kingdom's gaming infrastructure. The partnership is intended to lower the traditional technical barriers that have historically limited entry into game creation, thereby democratizing the process for a broader audience. Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki described the collaboration as a means to "enable anyone, anywhere, to become a creator by reducing the technical hurdles that have traditionally been associated with game development." He added that the joint effort would help bring the company's vision for creators to life throughout Saudi Arabia and align with the rapid expansion 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," Baszucki said. This sentiment echoes a broader governmental push to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil dependence and to position the nation as a leader in digital innovation and entertainment. Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia's flagship development plan, sets ambitious targets for the country's technology and entertainment sectors. Among its objectives are the creation of 250 video‑game and esports companies and the generation of 39,000 new jobs in these fields by the end of the decade.
Roblox's expanded footprint is expected to play a pivotal role in achieving these milestones by offering a platform where local developers can design, test, and publish interactive experiences that reach a global audience. The new headquarters will also host training workshops, hackathons, and mentorship programmes aimed at young developers, educators, and aspiring entrepreneurs. By providing hands‑on experience with Roblox Studio—the company’s proprietary game‑creation suite—participants will learn essential skills such as 3D modelling, scripting in Lua, user‑experience design, and community management.
These educational initiatives are designed to align with Saudi Arabia's broader educational reforms, which emphasize STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning and digital literacy. In addition to nurturing talent, Roblox plans to collaborate with Saudi media regulators to ensure that content created on the platform complies with cultural norms and legal standards. This cooperation will help maintain a safe and inclusive environment for users while respecting the Kingdom's values and regulations. Economically, the Riyadh hub is expected to attract foreign investment and stimulate ancillary industries, including cloud computing, digital marketing, and virtual‑reality hardware.
By establishing a local presence, Roblox can better tailor its services to regional preferences, such as incorporating Arabic language support, culturally relevant avatars, and region‑specific monetisation models. Overall, the decision to set up a headquarters in Riyadh signals Roblox's confidence in the MENA market's growth potential and its commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 agenda.
Through strategic partnerships, educational outreach, and targeted investment, Roblox aims to empower a new generation of creators, diversify the Kingdom's economy, and position Saudi Arabia as a thriving hub for digital entertainment and innovation.