Roblox has disclosed that it will establish 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, notes that the project enjoys the backing of several Saudi institutions, including the Ministry of Investment, the Riyadh Creative District, and the General Authority of Media Regulation. Mohamed El Sheakh, Roblox’s General Manager for MENA and Türkiye, explained that the decision to locate the hub in Riyadh reflects the company’s enduring commitment to the Saudi market and its alignment with the Kingdom’s broader digital‑economy ambitions outlined in Vision 2030. “Our decision to establish our regional headquarters in Riyadh is a reflection of Roblox's long‑term investment in Saudi Arabia and our commitment to supporting the Kingdom's digital economy objectives under Vision 2030,” he said.
El Sheakh added that Roblox intends to leverage existing collaborations in Saudi Arabia that span education, creator development, and the broader gaming ecosystem. “Building on our partnerships in Saudi Arabia across education, creator development, and the gaming ecosystem, we look forward to investing in programming that will support Saudi Arabia's goal to become a global hub for gaming,” he continued. The Riyadh office follows a strategic partnership announced earlier this year with Savvy Games Group, a Saudi‑based entity focused on expanding the nation’s gaming infrastructure. Through that alliance, Roblox will make its development tools and support services available to local developers, lowering the technical hurdles that traditionally separate aspiring creators from publishing their own interactive experiences.
Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki described the Savvy Games Group collaboration as a means to “enable anyone anywhere to become a creator by lowering the technical barriers to entry traditionally associated with game development.” He emphasized that the partnership is intended to bring the company’s creator‑first philosophy to Saudi Arabia and to help realize the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goal of nurturing a vibrant creator ecosystem. “The partnership will help realise that vision for creators across Saudi Arabia and align with the growth of the Kingdom's creator ecosystem under Vision 2030,” Baszucki said. He also highlighted the importance of education, noting that “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.” Roblox’s expanded footprint in the region dovetails with Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 agenda, which seeks to diversify the nation’s oil‑dependent economy, promote technology‑driven industries, and raise the country’s profile on the global stage.
Within the gaming sector, the plan calls for substantial investments aimed at fostering a thriving ecosystem of developers, publishers, and esports organisations. According to the Vision 2030 roadmap, Saudi Arabia aims to nurture at least 250 video‑game and esports companies by the end of the decade, creating roughly 39,000 jobs in the process. Roblox’s presence in Riyadh is expected to accelerate that timeline by providing a proven platform for user‑generated content, a robust set of development tools, and a global community of players and creators.
Beyond the immediate economic impact, Roblox’s headquarters will serve as a hub for knowledge exchange, training programs, and collaborative projects with local universities and vocational schools. The company plans to launch workshops, hackathons, and mentorship initiatives that will equip Saudi youth with the skills needed to design, code, and monetize immersive experiences.
By integrating these educational components, Roblox hopes to nurture a pipeline of talent that can sustain the Kingdom’s ambitions for a diversified, knowledge‑based economy. The Riyadh Creative District, one of the partners supporting the new office, is itself a government‑led initiative aimed at clustering creative industries—including gaming, film, and digital media—within a dedicated urban space.
The district will provide state‑of‑the‑art facilities, co‑working spaces, and networking events that will complement Roblox’s own resources, creating a synergistic environment for creators to thrive. In practical terms, the new headquarters will house regional product teams, community managers, and business development staff who will work closely with Saudi developers to tailor Roblox’s platform to local cultural preferences and regulatory requirements. This localized approach is intended to ensure that games and experiences built on Roblox resonate with regional audiences while adhering to the Kingdom’s media guidelines. Overall, Roblox’s move to open a headquarters in Riyadh signals a deepening of its investment in the MENA market and a clear endorsement of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives.
By combining platform technology, educational outreach, and strategic partnerships, the company aims to empower a new generation of Saudi creators, stimulate job growth, and position the Kingdom as a leading hub for interactive entertainment in the Middle East and beyond.