Video games have become a major component of global popular culture and are a favorite form of entertainment among Gen-Z around the world, including in Saudi Arabia, where this sector has recently flourished.
In the Kingdom specifically, there are more than 22.3 million video game enthusiasts. Many of them may seek to turn this hobby into a full-time career, gaining skills including problem-solving, teamwork, communication, strategic thinking, and more. A YouTube-sponsored study showed that these skills are highly valued by recruiters in the Kingdom. More than 87% of recruiters are likely to hire people who play video games and clearly articulate the skills they have acquired through these games.
Today, we are excited to announce new programs to build the capacity of the next generation of esports players in Saudi Arabia—whether game developers, students, content creators, or esports players in general—in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Saudi Esports Federation. These training programs focus on four key areas:
- Google Days for University Students: Google gaming experts and their gaming partners will host training programs for more than 250 university students in Al-Ahsa, Abha, Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam , starting in September 2023, in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology’s Center for Digital Entrepreneurship (CODE). The program will cover entrepreneurship strategies, job opportunities in gaming, Google products, and other monetization strategies using Google advertising solutions such as PerformanceMax, Admob, and Google Play, distribution best practices on Google Cloud and YouTube, and programs supporting the e-gaming industry.
- Mentoring and Training Saudi Game Developers: Google will hold workshops for 100 Saudi game developers focusing on app development using Google Ads and the Google Play Store. This is part of the IGNITE! initiative and the MCIT’s GameFounders program, which serves as a game incubator, accelerator, and mentorship program. Experts will also personally mentor participants on entrepreneurship, fundraising, game development and design, monetization, and marketing through the Google for Startups Global Mentors Forum, which connects startups with Google’s global network of experts in entrepreneurship, fundraising, game development, monetization, and marketing.
- Content Creators and Esports Players: YouTube will host a workshop at the Gamers8 conference, organized by the Saudi Esports Federation. This workshop, targeting 50 content creators and esports players based in Saudi Arabia, will focus on gaming content, channel optimization, audience growth, and engagement with the YouTube gaming community.
- Female Gamers and Gaming Content Creators: YouTube will host a special workshop titled “I Am a Champion” for female esports gamers and gaming content creators at Gamers8. The workshop is part of YouTube’s “Batala” program, which seeks to empower female content creators in the Middle East and North Africa. Google is also partnering with stc Play to organize a campaign launching later this year that promotes inclusivity and showcases the diversity of the gaming industry in Saudi Arabia. stc Play is a vital component of the gaming industry and a platform for gamers affiliated with the Saudi Telecom Company (stc).
We’re also excited to announce that Google will be hosting its first MENA Gaming Summit in Riyadh later this year. This summit will bring together leading Google experts, industry veterans, investors, and the region’s top talent, and will highlight industry trends and the latest insights into Google Play, Google Ads, YouTube, and Google Cloud, as well as how to empower and grow talent in the Kingdom’s gaming industry.
Through these programs and the upcoming Google MENA Gaming Summit, we hope to contribute to the growth of the gaming industry in Saudi Arabia and its gaming talent.