Joint venture between smart city project and Dubai-based media company aims to create "the first AAA games development studio in the region"

Saudia Arabia's aspiring tech hub city-building project NEOM today announced a joint venture with media company MBC Group to create what it calls "the first AAA games development studio in the region."  No individual developers have been attached to the project yet, but NEOM said the studio is "currently being incubated with developers from all over the world," and will centralize itself in NEOM's media hub next year.

The partnership highlights NEOM’s push to create a new centre for the region’s media and creative industries by establishing a physically and technologically integrated creative media hub focused on screen production, gaming and digital publishing.

Commenting on the partnership, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM said: “The future that NEOM envisions is being achieved through effective partnerships with various specialised entities. This is reflected in our agreement with MBC to establish a AAA gaming studio in NEOM. We know there is a growing convergence between gaming and the media sector more broadly, so by building one we are helping the other grow. Establishing this studio creates future-proof career paths and job opportunities in an environment that fosters creativity, entrepreneurship and talent development, in line with Saudi Vision 2030. We are now developing promising opportunities locally, regionally and globally by nurturing the Saudi game-development market.”

Read the full story at gamesindustry.biz and BroadcastPro ME