NEOM selects five Saudi studios for Level Up gaming funding
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NEOM has selected five Saudi game studios to receive funding under the latest Level Up gaming accelerator, according to a statement issued on Tuesday.
The decision follows an earlier phase in which more than 23 studios received mentoring support. A further 18 studios were included in the initial stage of the current cycle.
The studios chosen for funding are Aiqona Productions, Fourcast Studio, Makera, OFF BOX Studios and Phys. The selected companies will receive funding to support game development, along with seven months of mentoring and access to NEOM’s publisher partners, including Kwalee and Tamatem Games.
The studios work in different areas of game development. Their projects include animation-based games, social multiplayer titles, user-created content platforms and games designed for children.
Executive Director and Head of Gaming at NEOM Toby Evan-Jones said the accelerator continues to support local developers.
"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", said Toby.
"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", he added.
Level Up is run by NEOM Gaming and supports Saudi start-ups as part of the National Gaming and Esports Strategy under Vision 2030. The gaming sector is expected to contribute more than SAR50 billion to the economy by 2030.
NEOM said the accelerator has helped create more than 170 jobs, with all supported studios continuing to operate. Several graduates have gone on to secure international publishing deals and investment.