TOKYO: Emerging Saudi Arabia gamers recently received specialized training at a “Japan Game Business Bootcamp” in Tokyo.
The program was run by the Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East, in partnership with the Saudi Digital Academy under the Kingdom’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
The three-week JCCME program ran from Oct. 13 to 31, bringing together 10 developers, including four women, selected by the SDA for their ambition to turn professional.
The bootcamp aimed to equip participants, who had already mastered the basics of game creation, with the technical and business skills needed to work independently. Training was led by leading figures from Japan’s game development and business sectors.
The 2025 edition was officially recognized as a commemorative event marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Saudi Arabia.
With support from the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Japan, the program concluded with a final pitch session attended by the Kingdom’s ambassador Dr. Ghazi Faisal Binzagr, during which participants presented their own game projects.
Entertainment is a key pillar of the Japan–Saudi Vision 2030 plan, developed by both governments.
In line with this framework, Saudi Arabia launched its National Gaming and Esports Strategy in 2022, identifying the industry as a major national growth sector.
To support this goal, the JCCME, working with Ludimus Inc., created the bootcamp to tap into Japan’s gaming expertise and train the next generation of Saudi creators.
The three-week course combined lectures, studio visits, and hands-on mentoring.
Twenty sessions covered topics including game design, development planning, XR games, scenario writing, sound design and esports.
Instructors included producers of hit Japanese titles, virtual reality pioneers and university lecturers, sparking lively exchanges between participants and mentors.
The developers toured leading Japanese gaming companies and startups, gaining firsthand insight into the country’s creative ecosystem and meeting professionals behind global hits.
Participants refined their own game projects throughout the program. On the final day, they pitched their games and business plans at the Saudi Embassy in Tokyo.
Feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive.
“I learned about the history of the Japanese gaming industry and how to collaborate with it,” said one participant.
“The best experience was visiting the studios and talking directly to developers,” another added.
Others described the program as the best training they had received, praising both the technical insights and the networking opportunities it provided.
