MCIT, Savvy Partner to Boost Gaming Startups

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Savvy Games Group have signed a memorandum of understanding at LEAP 2026 in Riyadh to support entrepreneurship in the gaming and esports sectors and to develop national talent in the field.

The cooperation links the Ministry's talent programs and national academies — including Tuwaiq Academy in Riyadh and the Saudi Digital Academy — with Savvy's initiatives. Savvy's Nine66 Incubator Program is being formally integrated with the Ministry's Center of Digital Entrepreneurship (CODE) incubator, creating a joint pipeline for game studios and gaming-platform startups. Participants will gain access to mentorship, business support, and specialized gaming-sector workshops through CODE and Savvy Academy.

The partnership backs gaming and esports startups registered or operating in Saudi Arabia and opens career pathways and job opportunities in the local ecosystem. A flagship element is the Code NINE66 program, run under CODE in partnership with Savvy, which combines a Game Jam and a Game Incubator aimed at Saudi entrepreneurs, developers, artists, designers, marketers, and innovators in video games.

How Code NINE66 works

The program is open to Saudi citizens aged 18 and over with advanced English, working in teams of 2 to 5 members and committed to attending key milestones in person. The three-day Game Jam runs 17–19 September 2026 at Dar Al-Hekma University in Jeddah. All projects are evaluated at the end of the event, with the top 10 teams advancing to the incubator.

The Incubator runs for about three months, starting 11 October 2026 through early January 2027, offering mentorship, technical training, and business development support. A final playtesting and demo day for investors and publishers is set for 6 January 2027 in Jeddah. Participation is free of charge, and teams keep full intellectual property rights over their games, with no equity or revenue share taken by the program.

---

Stay updated with the latest news, events, sports updates, business insights, real estate and lifestyle stories on Saudi Living — the leading online platform for residents, expats, and visitors in Saudi Arabia.

Follow Saudi Living for daily updates:

• Instagram - @saudiliving
• X - @saudiliving
• Facebook - @saudiliving
• YouTube - @saudiliving