Saudi Arabia wants to increase its investment in Nintendo

Key things

Saudi Arabia wants to become a gaming hub by 2030 and invest heavily in the industry.
The country is Nintendo's largest shareholder and also holds stakes in other gaming giants.
Although Saudi Arabia has no plans to influence game development, some titles have been censored before release in the country.

The prince of Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in continuing relations with the country Nintendo. The gaming market is largely based in the United States and Japan, with Nintendo dominating much of the space, but other countries have shown initiative to further engage in the industry, which could end up bringing games to potentially unexpected places. It's unclear if this relationship will affect the content of the games in the future, but that doesn't seem likely.

Saudi Arabia is making strides in the entertainment industry. With the goal of diversifying the country's economy, Savvy Games Group, a country-funded company involved in several areas of the gaming industry, including eSports and publishing, has taken steps to expand its reach. Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars in gaming and it doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon. Savvy Games Group said it plans to continue to carve out major parts of the gaming market with the aim of making Saudi Arabia a gaming hub by 2030.

Saudi Arabia became Nintendo's largest investor

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund increases 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 Tokyo Game Show 2024 and indicated further interest in investing in Japanese games. As the country weans itself from an oil-dependent economy, its group of sovereign wealth funds has increased its investments in games, with its Public Investment Fund claiming nearly a tenth of Nintendo's stake. Asked about the prospect of going even further, the prince said, “It's always possible,” noting that any move he and the country make to increase stakes in Nintendo will be in agreement with the company and maintain positive communication. Nintendo shares jumped on news of Saudi Arabia's continued interest in the relationship, with shares up nearly 4%.

Saudi Arabia is open to more investment in Nintendo

Saudi Arabia is currently Nintendo's largest shareholder, and that understanding extends elsewhere. Although not the biggest investor for some, the country owns a significant portion of other gaming giants, holding about 10% of Nexon, 5% of Capcom and 9% of EA. Saudi Arabia does not appear to have any plans to directly influence video game development. Outside of these investments, however, there are various elements to like about some of the titles Spider-Man 2 were censored in the country before release.

More attention could be paid to restrictions like these as gaming is further associated with Saudi Arabia. The country plans to host the inaugural 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 successor to the Switch on the horizon in addition to this competition.