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Savvy Games And AWS Partner To Grow Saudi Gaming Sector

Amazon Web Services will provide support through two programs: AWS Skill Builder and AWS Activate.

Published

1 year ago

August 26, 2025

Nour Nasir

Savvy Games

Savvy Games Group has signed a collaboration agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to accelerate the development of Saudi Arabia’s gaming industry. The partnership is designed to strengthen local games technology infrastructure while empowering startups, studios, and developers across the Kingdom.

AWS will bring two of its global programs to Saudi Arabia. AWS Skill Builder provides digital courses and learning paths to help developers and professionals gain cloud and AI expertise — skills increasingly in demand across the gaming sector. Meanwhile, AWS Activate gives eligible startups access to resources, credits, and exclusive offers to help them scale their businesses and bring new titles to market.

Beyond training and startup support, Savvy and AWS will work together on wider industry initiatives, focusing on enablement and networking to build a stronger domestic ecosystem.

“We are delighted to enter into this partnership with AWS, and look forward to working together to further grow and empower Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing ecosystem of game developers, technical experts, and creative minds. I am sure that the aspiring talent we have in the Kingdom will make the most of these opportunities that our collaboration will bring about,” said Brian Ward, Chief Executive Officer at Savvy Games Group.

Also Read: 6 Automation Tools Transforming Middle Eastern Businesses

Nina Walsh, Global Leader for Industry Business Development at AWS, added: “At AWS, we are committed to empowering the next generation of game developers with the tools, training, and cloud technology they need to innovate and scale globally. Through our collaboration with Savvy, we aim to help unlock the creative potential of Saudi Arabia’s gaming community, accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like generative AI, and enable local talent to bring their visions to life for players around the world”.

The partnership aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the National Gaming and Esports Strategy, which aim to position the Kingdom as a regional hub for gaming and esports. As the agreement takes shape, Savvy will support AWS events in the country and assist local developers and companies in applying for these programs.

Related Topics:Amazon Gaming Saudi Arabia Savvy Games

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Microsoft Plans $10 Billion-Plus Gulf Expansion Despite Iran Conflict

Security is shaping Microsoft’s approach, from resilience work with governments to what it will say about how the money splits by country.

Published

4 days ago

September 24, 2026

Nour Nasir

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning more than $10 billion of investment across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030, Vice Chair and President Brad Smith told Reuters, calling the spending schedule aggressive. The Iranian conflict that began on February 28 has not persuaded the company to scale back.

“We’re sustaining all the investments we planned to make before this conflict started, and we are in fact adding to them,” Smith said. The $10 billion-plus total does not, however, show how large those additions are.

The investment, which Smith described as part of Microsoft’s continued infrastructure expansion, is aimed at cloud and AI infrastructure and at the company’s growing regional operations. Microsoft also intends to put more than $400 million into subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the Middle East by 2030.

The spending fits the region’s own ambitions too. Gulf governments have been investing heavily in AI infrastructure as part of a push to diversify their economies beyond oil and gas and turn themselves into global technology hubs. Major cloud and AI providers have been drawn in part by the land and relatively low-cost energy on offer.

Microsoft is widening its partnerships with regional AI companies, though not on identical terms. In 2024, it invested $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi-based G42 for a minority stake, and Smith currently sits on G42’s board. Saudi Arabia’s Humain and Qatar’s Qai are working with Microsoft on selected priority areas, but Smith said the company does not plan to make capital investments in either.

Also Read: Egypt’s Mobile Wallets Are Booming, But Cash Still Has Power

The conflict has added another strand to Microsoft’s work in the region. Since it began, Smith said, the company has supported regional partners with digital resilience assessments, and it is now working with Gulf countries through a digital resilience initiative focused on preparedness and the protection of critical data.

So far, the company has given no country-by-country breakdown of the investment, citing security among other factors. So while the headline figure is public, how Microsoft divides the spending among the four countries is not.