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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

12 months 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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Samsung And Spotify Offer Free Premium Deal In MENA

Nearly seven in ten streams in the region come from 18-to-34-year-olds — the audience Samsung is hoping to entice into its ecosystem.

Published

6 days ago

August 7, 2026

Nour Nasir

Samsung

Samsung has announced a partnership with Spotify spanning the Middle East, North Africa, and Türkiye, bundling Spotify Premium with select devices across its ecosystem. The headline offer — up to four months of Premium for free — is a first for the region.

Customers in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Türkiye who buy any OLED or 98-inch television, or any Galaxy S or Z series mobile device, get four months of Spotify Premium. The offer, tiered by market and device, is available at retail and on Samsung.com, and redeemed through the Samsung Promotion and Samsung Members apps.

For Samsung, the strategy is less about free music than about lock-in. The Korean tech giant’s pitch is continuity: a track starts on a Galaxy smartphone through Galaxy Buds on the commute, moves to a Samsung TV and soundbar in the living room, and stays controllable from a Galaxy Watch. The more seamlessly music travels between those devices, the harder it becomes to swap any one of them for a rival’s.

“Technology should bring people closer to the things they love, and few things connect people the way music does,” said Omar Saheb, Regional VP of Marketing and Online Business at Samsung Electronics MENA. The partnership, he added, gives customers “a genuine reason to choose Samsung for the experience, not only the product”.

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For subscribers, Premium brings the usual package: ad-free listening, offline downloads, richer audio quality on Galaxy Buds and Samsung sound devices, and Jam, which lets friends build a shared queue.

“At Spotify, we are always working to make every listening moment feel more personal, meaningful, and worth it,” said Rami Jamal, Head of Partnerships at Spotify for South Asia, Middle East, and Africa.

The demographics go a long way to explaining the strategy. Across MENA, Türkiye, and Pakistan, nearly seven in ten Spotify streams come from listeners aged 18 to 34, according to the company — precisely the audience Samsung wants inside its hardware ecosystem before buying habits harden.