Savvy Games Group plots 600 new games industry jobs in Saudi Arabia
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Savvy Games Group aims to create more than 600 new jobs in Saudi Arabia’s games industry over the next couple of years as it continues its plans to grow the local ecosystem and invest in companies globally.
The state-backed firm has released its annual report for the past year in which it discusses its strategic goals. The company has grown to over 3,500 employees worldwide across 22 countries following the establishment of its own development house at Steer Studios and investments in global games firms.
Acquisitions include the $4.9 billion deal for Monopoly GO! and Stumble Guys developer Scopely, esports firm ESL FACEIT Group, and competitive gaming technology and infrastructure firm Vindex. It has also invested $265m in esports events operator VSPO for a 30% stake, and owns an 8.1% equity stake in Embracer Group.
Savvy famously pulled out of a deal to invest a further $2 billion in the latter publisher, sparking mass layoffs and eventually a restructuring plan that will see the company split into three new entities.
Savvy has also invested in other companies including Nintendo and Capcom. Savvy vice chairman Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud has previously invited the Japanese games giants and others to establish offices in the Middle East as it looks to grow the local ecosystem.
Local growth plans
Scopely is the largest employer in the Savvy, employing more than 2,300 staff. Savvy said it had plans in place for the Monopoly GO! developer and ESL FACEIT Group to develop or increase their presence in Saudi Arabia this year.
Steer Studios, meanwhile, which is working on mobile title Grunt Rush, has a team of 72 staff. We recently caught up with the developer’s CEO Yannick Theler to discuss its plans, and he revealed the studio has started building a new console division.
“2023 was a transformative year for Savvy,” said Savvy Games Group CEO Brian Ward.
“Our strategic investments and initiatives have not only expanded our global footprint but also contributed to exciting developments within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I would like to extend my gratitude to the outstanding team at Savvy for their extraordinary efforts over the last year, alongside the unwavering support and guidance of our shareholder PIF, and to our Chairman for his wise counsel and leadership.
“We have the right team, the right people, and the right governance structures and systems, and this gives me great confidence in our ability to accelerate our work and deliver on our strategy throughout 2024 and beyond.”
PocketGamer.biz recently spoke with Savvy CEO Brian Ward and will publish an interview in the coming days.
Savvy-owned Scopely recently took home three accolades, including Best Publisher, at the Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2024 in association with Gamelight. You can view the full list of winners here.
Want more insights into the MENA games industry? Join us at Pocket Gamer Connects Jordan on November 9th and 10th, 2024 to hear from local leaders and experts about the hottest trends and discover why this region is the fastest growing games market in the world.
And don’t forget to keep up with all of our MENA market coverage right here on PocketGamer.biz for all the latest news and big interviews from the region.
