NEOM, the sustainable regional development taking shape in northwest Saudi Arabia, has selected five Saudi game studios to receive funding as part of its annual flagship gaming accelerator, ‘Level Up’.
Coupled with an initial mentorship phase supporting a further 18 Saudi game studios, the NEOM announcement collectively makes the most recent cycle Level Up’s biggest yet.
Level Up, driven by NEOM Gaming, is the Kingdom’s longest-running gaming accelerator and a cornerstone initiative of the National Gaming & Esports Strategy under Saudi Vision 2030.
With the gaming sector projected to contribute over $13.33 billion (SAR 50 billion) to national GDP by 2030, the accelerator is designed to nurture and scale Saudi startups for long-term success through a tailored program addressing the unique challenges of running a game studio.
Following a competitive first phase, which saw over 23 Saudi game studios receive mentorship across a variety of topics, the five strongest studios have now been selected. They will receive critical funding to accelerate their product launch, a further seven months of mentorship totaling 600 hours per studio, and access to NEOM’s growing global Publisher Partner Network. This network includes UK-based games publisher Kwalee and Tamatem Games, MENA’s leading mobile games publisher.
Image Supplied | Cropped by GBN
The five Saudi game studios selected for the next phase of the program are:
Aiqona Productions: A creative studio blending animation, storytelling and interactive game design to craft engaging experiences.
Fourcast Studio: A pioneer in the Kingdom’s indie gaming scene currently developing a social PC multiplayer game that introduces unique gameplay mechanics.
Makera: A user-generated-content studio empowering communities to create and shape their own gaming experiences through tools and interactive platforms.
OFF BOX Studios: An emerging Saudi game development studio focused on creating innovative and immersive gaming experiences.
Phys: A studio dedicated to crafting high-quality gaming experiences with a strong emphasis on technology, design and encouraging movement/exercise among children.
Toby Evan-Jones Executive Director and Head – Gaming, NEOM
“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 that,“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.”
To date, the program has resulted in the creation of more than 170 jobs with 100 percent portfolio survivability and substantial growth of investee entities. Several startups from previous cycles have gone on to achieve further global recognition and success.
This includes Fahy Studio, which secured the first-ever international publishing deal for a Saudi startup game developer with Kwalee, alongside an investment of $1.75 million from Impact46 and Merak Capital. Other Level Up graduates, Starvania Studio and Majestic Mind Games, consecutively won the ‘Best Games Startup’ award at the 2024 and 2025 MENA Games Industry Awards.
