Games services provider Side has announced its opening a new studio in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in partnership with Savvy Games Group.
As reported by Game Developer, both companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday. The studio will open by Q4 2025 and will provide co-development services in the MENA region.
“Saudi Arabia is quite possibly the most important market for the global gaming industry right now, especially when it comes to the development scene,” said Side CEO Deborah Kirkham.
“It’s got all the right pieces in play for aggressive growth for UK companies – inviting partners like Savvy, and audience that wants more localised and bespoke content, and the backing of a government who knows how to proactively invest in in the future.
“That combination allows us to bottle lightning in the Saudi marketplace and deliver the kind of excellence Side is globally known for.”
Savvy Games is a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has faced controversy due to human rights violations in the country (via Amnesty International).
Side’s chief communications officer Martin McBride addressed these concerns, concluding that while “instability in the region could play a factor in how quickly we can grow […] great games can be created anywhere”.
“Our decision to partner with Savvy stems from [the] belief [that] great games can be created anywhere, and games that bring excitement to their players should be localised and translated so that everyone can experience them,” said McBride.
“There are over 20 million gamers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – that’s 60% of the population. With 71% being under the age of 35, Side is in a perfect position to help bring up a new generation of talent into our industry.”
He added: “Yes, instability in the region could play a factor in how quickly we can grow, but Side firmly believes in the vision of building a gaming hub in Riyadh and will support local developers looking to bring their games to a global audience.”
McBride also clarified that Savvy Games is not investing in Side, and the partnership between the studio and PIF “doesn’t include any ownership stakes or equity agreements”.
Saudi Arabia’s PIF currently has stakes in Nintendo, Capcom and Nexon, EA, Take Two, Activision Blizzard, and Koei Tecmo.
“We are delighted to partner with Side and look forward to supporting the team to enter Saudi Arabia’s vibrant gaming industry and establish their presence here in Riyadh,” said Savvy Games SVP and head of international business development Nika Nour.
“Our collaboration with Side reflects our shared vision to elevate the global gaming experience and support the next generation of creative professionals in the region.”
As for the Side’s expansion plans, McBride referred to the recent opening of its new studio in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“We’ve been able to grow that team from less than 10 people to well over 100 in under two years, with some of our biggest global clients moving business to that team due to their performance”.
“As long as we have humans playing games, we’ll need humans that can develop and discuss what games should look like,” he added. “Side will continue to be a key part of that loop, and we believe our Riyadh studio will be able to offer fresh talent, ideas and perspectives to an exciting and collaborative arm of the gaming industry.”
Side was previously known as PTW, founded in 1994 as Pole to Win. It rebranded as Side earlier this year uniting its subsidiaries 1518 Studios, audio services provider SIDE, and Ghostpunch Games under one banner.