Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Savvy Games Group and NEOM to streamline the journey of Saudi gaming startups from incubation to acceleration. This joint initiative aims to strengthen the Kingdom’s end-to-end gaming ecosystem and advance the goals of the National Gaming and Esports Strategy under Saudi Vision 2030.

The agreement formalizes a coordinated approach between Savvy’s Nine66 Incubator Program and NEOM’s ‘Level Up’ Accelerator, ensuring that startups graduating from Savvy’s Incubator have the training, resources and support required to progress efficiently into NEOM’s Accelerator. This Savvy-NEOM collaboration builds upon the rapid evolution of both programs and shall ultimately support a stronger pipeline of investable gaming studios.

Savvy’s Nine66 Incubator Program has helped early-stage studios validate prototypes, build foundational capabilities, and prepare for investor engagement. Through this initiative, Savvy aims to help startups achieve readiness to move into the subsequent stages of development and scaling.

NEOM’s Level Up Accelerator provides funding and mentorship to scale incubated studios into self-sustaining businesses. Since 2023, it has grown into a multiphase platform supporting more than 45 Saudi startups, deploying 15 investments, and achieving a 100% survival rate within its portfolio – outperforming many global benchmarks. With 17 international partners offering publishing and support, Level Up has enabled more than 170 jobs and facilitated a historic milestone: the Kingdom’s first international publishing deal for a domestic gaming start-up – signed between Fahy Studio and UK-based publisher Kwalee.

Amr Sager, Group Chief of Staff at Savvy Games Group, said: “As the games industry continues to grow at a rapid pace in Saudi Arabia, there is an increasing number of programs and initiatives designed to help emerging studios and entrepreneurs to build, run, and scale their businesses. This momentum is encouraging, and the next step would be to create stronger synergy and alignment across these efforts, so that the journey is smoother and clearer for startups to identify and source the support they need. This is what our partnership with NEOM is really about, and we look forward to working with the team to continue empowering Saudi studios and game makers.”

Toby Evan-Jones, Executive Director and Head of Gaming at NEOM, said: “NEOM Gaming is proud to play a role in nurturing the Kingdom’s gaming ecosystem, in line with the National Gaming and Esports Strategy. From sparking interest within high schools, to investing into young gaming studios via the Level Up accelerator, it’s immensely satisfying to see the green shoots of a viable self-sustaining industry appear. We share a joint view, with Savvy Games Group, that increasing coordination around the startup journey shall benefit all parties, not least the young game makers which we support. We couldn’t be more excited about this alignment.”

The respective program websites are below for further information:

Savvy Nine66 Incubator: www.savvyacademy.sa/savvy-incubator-program/

NEOM Level Up Accelerator: www.neomlevelup.game

About Savvy Games Group

Savvy Games Group (“Savvy”) was formed with a mission to drive long-term growth and innovation in the games and esports industry. Backed by its shareholder, the Public Investment Fund, Savvy deploys capital over long-term horizons through acquisitions, investments, and business ventures. By expanding its portfolio and growing the games and esports ecosystem, it is shaping the future of the sector on a global scale. As Saudi Arabia’s National Champion for Games and Esports, Savvy is also focused on developing the sector’s domestic ecosystem.

https://savvygames.com/

For further information, email media@savvygames.com or visit www.savvygames.com

About NEOM

NEOM is an accelerator of human progress and a vision of what a New Future might look like. It is a region in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea, being built from the ground up as a living laboratory – a place where entrepreneurship will chart the course for this New Future. It will be a destination and a home for people who dream big and want to be part of building a new model for exceptional livability, creating thriving businesses, and reinventing environmental conservation.

NEOM will include hyperconnected, cognitive cities, ports, and enterprise zones, research centers, sports and entertainment venues, and tourist destinations. As a hub for innovation, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and companies will come to research, incubate, and commercialize new technologies and enterprises in groundbreaking ways. Residents of NEOM will embody an international ethos and embrace a culture of exploration, risk-taking, and diversity.

For further information, email media@neom.com or visit www.neom.com and www.neom.com/en-us/newsroom.