Roblox to establish Saudi Arabia headquarters to support MENA creators

GamesIndustry.biz reports that Roblox plans to establish a regional headquarters in Riyadh, aimed at expanding support for creators across the Middle East and North Africa. The move is being positioned as a long-term investment in Saudi Arabia’s digital economy, with backing from the Ministry of Investment, the Riyadh Creative District, and the General Authority of Media Regulation.

For developers, the practical angle is Roblox’s push to widen access to its creation tools and support programs in a region the company sees as strategically important. Roblox GM for MENA and Türkiye Mohamed El Sheakh said the company wants to invest in programming that helps Saudi Arabia become a global gaming hub, while CEO Dave Baszucki framed the effort as part of lowering the technical barriers to game development.

The Riyadh HQ follows an earlier partnership with Savvy Games Group to bring Roblox’s tools and developer support into the region’s gaming infrastructure. That makes this less of a one-off office opening and more of a broader regional expansion tied to creator onboarding, education, and ecosystem building.

The timing also lines up with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals, which include major investment in games and esports. The kingdom has set targets to establish 250 games and esports companies and create 39,000 jobs by 2030, so Roblox’s presence could become another channel for local creator growth and business development.