The Final Boss Every month an industry leader wraps up MCV/DEVELOP with their unique insight
How would you best describe what Savvy does?
Dr. Nika Nour, SVP and Head of International Business
Development, Savvy Games Group
Savvy has a unique business model that encompasses three key strategic pillars: game development and publishing, esports and community, and KSA ecosystem building. Guided by our purpose of enabling connection and prosperity through play for generations to come, we are committed to doing good for the industry and we are in it for the long term. To date, we have been making strong progress against our strategy to build
a portfolio of category-leading games and talented teams with long-term ambitions, while establishing and sustaining a leadership position in esports. We want Savvy to be a good home and a partner of choice for any studios or businesses we have acquired or may invest in in the future.
Our other strategic priority is building the KSA games ecosystem. As a regional leader, we’re bridging the gap between KSA, MENA and the global industry, helping partners better understand the potential of this market and building long-term create value for years to come.
How much has business changed for games studios building a presence in Saudi Arabia in recent times? accessible for games studios looking to establish a long-term presence in Saudi Arabia.
Practical enablers, such as the Ministry of Investment’s Fast
Track program and the expansion of Premium Residency to friction around licensing, hiring, and relocation. That has made it easier for studios to move from initial conversations to actually building teams on the ground. As a result, we’ve seen a growing mix of creative studios explore and begin establishing a presence in the Kingdom, including SIDE, Territory Studio, Feed Me Light, and NMBRS. At the same time, global technology and services partners such as AWS, Xsolla, and Unity are supporting the development of the wider ecosystem.
in the market and reinforce Saudi Arabia as a viable destination for studios expanding into the region.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome in the last few years?
For me, the biggest challenge has been navigating a period of industry contraction while still staying focused on building for the long term. It’s required making deliberate decisions in an environment where short term pressures can easily take over. At the same time, I’ve seen player attention become
increasingly fragmented, with games competing not just with each other but with social platforms and other forms of entertainment. That shift has placed greater emphasis on relevance and longevity, making the ability to build and sustain loyal communities more important than ever.
What’s your personal greatest achievement? One of my greatest achievements has been opening doors for more people to make games, no matter where they are in the world or the size of the team behind them. We’re living in an era where everyone is a gamer and almost everyone carries a game in their pocket. That means the stories, creativity and entertainment shaping our culture can come from anywhere. What drives me is connecting the global games ecosystem so that anyone with an idea for a game has the opportunity to bring it to life and share their story with the world.
What changes do you expect are coming your way in the next few years?
AI will continue to be a major topic in the industry, particularly as studios navigate rising production costs and development complexity. The real question won’t be whether it’s used, but how it’s applied in ways that genuinely support teams and existing creative processes.
I also expect competition for player attention to keep intensifying. That puts more weight on relevance and longevity, and on building experiences that players want to stay connected to over time, rather than chasing short term engagement. Regionally, the Middle East is moving from an emerging market to a more established contributor to the global games industry, supported by growing capability across talent, development, and infrastructure, so watch that space.
54 | MCV/DEVELOP February/March 2026
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
