For decades, the global gaming industry has been dominated by stories inspired by Western mythology, Japanese fantasy, and Nordic legends. From ancient Greece to medieval Europe, countless civilizations have found their way into blockbuster games played by millions around the world. Yet one of the richest storytelling traditions—the history and mythology of Arabia—has remained largely untapped.
Saudi startup Ash Games Studio wants to change that.
The Riyadh-based game developer has raised $1.5 million in a Seed funding round co-led by Merak Capital and Impact46 through the Merak Gaming Fund, providing fresh capital to accelerate the development of Saudi-inspired games for global audiences. The investment reflects growing confidence in Saudi Arabia’s emerging gaming ecosystem and the country’s ambition to become a leading producer—not just consumer—of interactive entertainment.
Founded by Anas Bakhsh, Yaser Alahmadi, and Saud Bakolka, Ash Games Studio is building action-adventure titles rooted in Saudi culture, history, and mythology while maintaining production standards capable of competing in international markets.
Exporting Stories, Not Just Games
For many years, Saudi Arabia’s gaming market has been known primarily as one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets. Today, however, a new generation of developers is working to ensure the Kingdom also becomes a creator of globally recognized intellectual property.
Ash Games believes authentic local storytelling is its greatest competitive advantage.
Rather than adapting Western narratives for regional audiences, the studio is creating original games inspired by Arabian history and traditions. Its flagship project, Nomad: The Legend of Zarqa, is an action-adventure roguelite built around the mythology of Ancient Arabia. Scheduled for release on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox in 2027, the title represents one of the first major efforts to introduce Arabian mythology to mainstream gaming audiences worldwide.
Alongside Nomad, the studio has also developed Azooma Escape, a stealth-comedy game inspired by the humor and everyday experiences of Saudi life. By blending cultural authenticity with accessible gameplay, Ash Games hopes to demonstrate that locally rooted stories can resonate far beyond their country of origin.
For the founders, the objective extends beyond entertainment. They are building intellectual property that showcases Saudi culture through interactive storytelling, allowing global players to experience narratives that have rarely appeared in modern video games.
Building a Global Studio from Riyadh
Ash Games operates with a remote-first team of 18 professionals, combining creative talent with modern game development practices. Although relatively small compared to major international studios, the company believes agility and cultural originality provide significant advantages in today’s gaming industry, where independent developers increasingly compete with much larger publishers through innovation and unique storytelling.
The newly raised funding will help accelerate production of the studio’s upcoming titles while strengthening its development capabilities and expanding its creative team. More importantly, it enables the company to focus on building original intellectual property rather than contract development or outsourced production work.
That distinction is significant.
Countries rarely build globally influential gaming industries by simply developing games for others. Long-term value is created through original franchises that generate loyal communities, recurring revenue, and international recognition. Ash Games is positioning itself to contribute to exactly that transformation.
Gaming Becomes a Strategic Industry
The investment also reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader commitment to developing one of the world’s leading gaming ecosystems under Vision 2030.
In recent years, the Kingdom has invested heavily across every layer of the gaming value chain—from esports and publishing to infrastructure, venture capital, and game development. Through initiatives such as the Merak Gaming Fund, investors are increasingly backing local studios capable of creating globally competitive intellectual property rather than simply serving domestic markets.
The funding follows a growing number of investments into Saudi game developers, highlighting the country’s determination to become a regional hub for interactive entertainment and digital creativity.
For investors, studios like Ash Games represent more than promising startups. They demonstrate that Saudi Arabia’s creative economy can produce exportable digital products capable of reaching millions of players worldwide.
The Future of Arabian Storytelling
The global video game industry generates hundreds of billions of dollars annually, but its cultural influence extends far beyond financial returns. Games introduce players to new civilizations, traditions, languages, and historical narratives in ways few other forms of media can achieve.
Ash Games sees an opportunity to ensure Arabia becomes part of that global conversation.
By drawing inspiration from Saudi heritage while building games that meet international production standards, the studio hopes to create experiences that appeal to both local and international audiences. Success would not only establish new commercial opportunities for Saudi developers but also introduce millions of players to stories that have remained largely absent from mainstream gaming.
With $1.5 million in fresh funding, a growing team of 18 professionals, and an ambitious roadmap led by Nomad: The Legend of Zarqa, Ash Games Studio represents a new generation of Saudi startups proving that the Kingdom’s next global exports may not just be technology or finance—but stories, creativity, and world-class interactive entertainment.
