adminSaudi game startups may have a clearer route from early development to business growth under a new agreement between Savvy Games Group and Neom. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) is intended to connect studios completing Savvy’s Nine66 Incubator Program with Neom’s Level Up Accelerator and help them access the support needed for their next stage.
Image credit: Neom and Savvy Games Group
How the agreement supports Saudi game startups
Under the MOU, studios leaving the Nine66 Incubator Program will be able to progress toward Neom’s Level Up Accelerator. The partnership aims to make that transition more coordinated, with training, resources and support available to help emerging studios develop their businesses.
The agreement does not mean that every studio automatically enters the accelerator. The announcement describes a pathway between the programs, rather than setting out specific admission criteria, funding amounts or guaranteed outcomes. Studios considering the next step should check the relevant program requirements and prepare clear information about their team, game, development progress and business needs.
- Incubation: Early support can help studios develop their ideas and establish their operations.
- Acceleration: A later-stage program can help a studio focus on growth and scaling.
- Practical preparation: Founders can make the transition easier by documenting milestones, identifying skill gaps and explaining what support would help them progress.
Why Savvy Games Group and Neom are coordinating
Savvy Games Group chief of staff Amr Sager said Saudi Arabia’s games sector has seen an increasing number of initiatives for new studios and entrepreneurs. He described stronger coordination between those efforts as a way to make it easier for startups to understand and find the support available to them.
Neom’s head of gaming and executive director, Toby Evan-Jones, said the company’s work includes introducing gaming to high school students and supporting young studios through the Level Up Accelerator. He also connected the partnership to the National Gaming and Esports Strategy and said closer coordination could benefit the wider startup ecosystem.
Savvy Games Group and Neom are both backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Savvy was established in 2021, while Neom was established in 2019 to develop the economic zone associated with the planned Neom region megaproject.
Wider investment context
The agreement comes alongside other developments involving the PIF and the games industry. The source material reports that the fund was moving $12 billion worth of games shares to Savvy Games Group. It also says the PIF is part of an investor consortium seeking to acquire Electronic Arts for $55 billion. If that transaction is completed, the PIF is reported to own 93.4% of the US publisher; its interests in other consortium members were also noted.
These investment details provide context for the growing role of the PIF in gaming, but they are separate from the MOU between Savvy and Neom. The agreement itself focuses on improving the path between incubation and acceleration for studios.
What the MOU could mean for founders
For founders, the main potential benefit is a more connected journey between two support programs. A studio nearing the end of incubation can use the transition to review its progress, set realistic growth goals and identify the specific resources it needs next. The precise process and eligibility details should be confirmed with the programs directly.
Overall, the Savvy–Neom agreement is intended to make the ecosystem easier to navigate. For Saudi game startups, clearer coordination between incubation and acceleration could help turn early development into a more structured plan for growth.
