Iran War Threatens Saudi Arabia’s $38 Billion Video Game Push

The entrance to the city of Qiddiya, south of the capital Riyadh.Photographer: Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images

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March 12, 2026 at 1:04 AM UTC

War in the Middle East is causing concern for the people behind Saudi Arabia’s plans to invest $38 billion to become a global video-game hub.

“It’s obviously not helpful for the region to have this escalation and it will change probably or cool the perception of it as being a stable and quiet place where people want to go,” Savvy Games Group Chief Executive Officer Brian Ward said in an interview at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco Wednesday.