Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s (MBS) reported obsession with video games seems to be an increasing area of focus for the Neom megacity project.
Now a three-day conference of the gaming industry is set to take place in Neom on 15-17 December. The Digital Games Conference Middle East and Africa (DGCMEA) will virtually bring together Saudi gamers with industry leaders from the region and the wider world. Speakers are set to include representatives from companies such as Moving Dimensions, Tagit Games, Hala Yalla, Snap Inc, Robocom VR and Boss Bunny Games.
Hosting the conference is the latest stage in Saudi Arabia attempting to show the world it has modernised. The MBS-led Vision 2030 strategy, of which Neom is the centrepiece, aims to transform Saudi Arabia’s image into that of a modern, liberal state. A focus on video games is the perfect opportunity to show that they are forward-looking and youthful.
The news comes after it emerged that MBS’s charity, the MiSK Foundation, had bought up a third of Japanese gaming corporation SNK, with plans to buy a 51% share soon.
It also follows e-sports leagues Riot and BLAST withdrawing from partnership deals with Neom earlier this year, following major backlashes from their gaming communities.
MBS is known as having an active interest in video games. He is said to play Call of Duty in his spare time – and even discussed Middle East peace plans with Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner while both played games.
