Roblox has unveiled a plan to establish a new regional headquarters in Riyadh, a step designed to strengthen its creator program across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The announcement, which was highlighted by Pocket Gamer, notes that the venture is being backed by 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 Turkey, explained that the decision to locate the regional hub in the Saudi capital reflects the company’s enduring commitment to the Kingdom and its 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," El Sheakh said.
He added that Roblox is building on existing collaborations in Saudi Arabia that span education, creator development, and the wider gaming ecosystem, and that the new office will enable the firm to deepen its programming and investment in initiatives that align with Saudi Arabia’s goal of becoming a global gaming hub. The Riyadh office follows a strategic partnership announced earlier this year with Savvy Games Group, a Saudi‑based entity that aims to bring Roblox’s development tools and support services to the local gaming infrastructure. In that partnership, Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki emphasized the company’s mission to lower technical barriers and empower anyone, regardless of location, to become a game creator.
"[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 explained. He also stressed that investing in high‑quality educational opportunities for Saudi youth is essential for nurturing the next generation of digital talent and fueling the Kingdom’s rapidly expanding digital economy. Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s comprehensive roadmap for economic diversification and societal transformation, places a strong emphasis on developing a vibrant digital sector. Within this framework, the gaming industry is identified as a key pillar for job creation, innovation, and cultural export.
The Saudi government has set ambitious targets: by 2030, it aims to have 250 video‑game and esports companies operating in the country and to generate roughly 39,000 new jobs in the sector. Roblox’s expansion is positioned as a direct contribution toward meeting these objectives, offering both a platform for local developers to create immersive experiences and a pipeline for training talent in game design, programming, and digital storytelling.
Beyond the immediate business implications, the Riyadh headquarters signals a broader shift in how global tech firms view the Middle East as a fertile ground for growth. The region’s youthful population, high smartphone penetration, and increasing internet connectivity make it an attractive market for interactive platforms.
Roblox, which already hosts millions of active users worldwide, sees an opportunity to tap into the creative energy of MENA’s emerging developers, providing them with tools, mentorship, and a marketplace to monetize their work. In practical terms, the new office will serve several functions.
First, it will act as a hub for local creator support, offering workshops, hackathons, and mentorship programs that teach the fundamentals of game development on the Roblox engine. Second, it will coordinate with Saudi educational institutions to integrate Roblox‑based curricula into schools and universities, aligning with the Kingdom’s push to embed digital skills across all levels of education.
Third, the headquarters will facilitate partnerships with regional publishers, media companies, and esports organizers, helping to foster a vibrant ecosystem where games can be co‑produced, marketed, and streamed to a global audience. Roblox’s strategy also includes a focus on cultural relevance. By encouraging Saudi creators to embed local narratives, traditions, and aesthetics into their games, the platform can help showcase the Kingdom’s heritage to an international user base.
This cultural export aligns with Vision 2030’s aim to promote Saudi Arabia’s soft power and improve its global image. The financial commitment behind the Riyadh office is expected to be substantial. While exact figures have not been disclosed, industry analysts anticipate that Roblox will allocate significant resources toward infrastructure, talent acquisition, and community initiatives. This investment is likely to ripple through related sectors, such as cloud services, digital payment solutions, and content moderation, further deepening the digital supply chain within the country.
In summary, Roblox’s decision to open a regional headquarters in Riyadh represents a multifaceted effort to embed the company within Saudi Arabia’s evolving digital landscape. By aligning its growth plans with Vision 2030, partnering with local authorities, and offering robust support for creators, Roblox aims to become a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s gaming and esports ambitions. The move not only promises new opportunities for Saudi developers and educators but also positions the platform as a catalyst for broader economic diversification and cultural exchange across the MENA region.