Key conclusions
- Saudi Arabia aims to become a gaming hub by 2030 by investing heavily in the industry.
- The country is Nintendo's largest shareholder and also has stakes in other gaming giants.
- Although Saudi Arabia does not plan to influence game development, some titles have been censored before being released in the country.
The prince of Saudi Arabia expressed interest in continuing relations with this country Nintendo. The gaming market is primarily located in the United States of America and Japan, where Nintendo dominates much of the space, but other countries have taken the initiative to further participate in the industry, which could end up taking gaming to potentially unexpected places. It's unclear whether this connection will affect the game's content in the future, but it's unlikely.
Saudi Arabia is making progress in the entertainment business. To diversify the country's economy, Savvy Games Group, a country-funded company involved in various areas of the gaming industry, including eSports and publishing, has taken steps to expand its reach. Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars into gaming, and it doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon. Savvy Games Group has announced plans to continue distributing major parts of the gaming market with the intention of turning Saudi Arabia into a gaming hub by 2030.

Relatives
Saudi Arabia became Nintendo's largest investor
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund is increasing its stake in Nintendo, becoming the company's largest outside investor.
Kyodo News interviewed Saudi Arabia's Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud during the Tokyo Game Show 2024, and he expressed further interest in investing in Japanese games. As the country moves away from an oil-dependent economy, its group of sovereign wealth funds has increased its investments in games, with its Public Investment Fund claiming almost a tenth of Nintendo's shares. When asked about prospects going forward, the prince said “it's always possible,” noting that any move he and the country make to increase Nintendo's stake will be in agreement with the company, maintaining positive communication. Nintendo's stock jumped on news of Saudi Arabia's continued interest in the relationship, with shares up nearly 4%.
Saudi Arabia is ready to invest more in Nintendo
At the moment, Saudi Arabia is Nintendo's largest shareholder, and that grip extends to other countries as well. While not the largest investor to some, the country owns a significant portion of other gaming giants, holding around 10% of Nexon, 5% of Capcom, and 9% of EA. It doesn't appear that Saudi Arabia plans to directly influence video game development. Outside of that investment, however, there are various elements of some of the titles to love Spiderman 2 passed censorship before leaving the country.
More attention may be drawn to such restrictions as the Games become even more closely associated with Saudi Arabia. The country plans to host its first eSports Olympics in 2025, which is likely to further highlight the growing relationship between the country and the multinational gaming market. 2025 could be a defining year for Saudi Arabia and gaming, with a Switch successor on the horizon in addition to this competition.