• Sheba Joy raised USD 293K (SAR 1.1M) in a pre-seed round led by Saudi VC firm Merak Capital.
• Founded in 2021, the mobile gaming studio relocated headquarters to Riyadh while keeping offices in Dubai and a creative hub in India.
• With fresh funding, Sheba Joy will expand production, attract talent, and develop culturally grounded games aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Sheba Joy

Riyadh-headquartered gaming studio, Sheba Joy, raised USD 293 thousand (SAR 1.1M) in a pre-seed round. The round was led by Saudi venture capital firm Merak Capital. 

Founded in 2021 in Dubai, Sheba Joy is a mobile game studio. It started headquartered in Dubai Silicon Oasis and now has moved to Riyadh. Moreover, this move to Riyadh is in alignment with Saudi’s Vision 2030 to become a gaming hub.  It however has still maintained offices in Dubai and also has a creative game studio in India. It has since published two games and is preparing to launch four additional games in 2025.

“The MENA gaming industry is growing at an unprecedented pace, but there is still a shortage of content that truly represents our region while appealing to global audiences. With Merak Capital’s support, we are scaling our operations in Riyadh to deliver world-class titles that can compete internationally and contribute to Saudi Arabia’s vision of becoming a global gaming powerhouse,” said Ebrahim Al Hussam, CEO of SHEBA JOY.

Gaming

Up next, with the newly acquired funding, it aims to expand its production capabilities, and attract top talent. It also aims to develop commercially successful games that combine accessibility with depth.

This investment is part of Merak Capital’s strategy to foster the growth of the gaming sector in the MENA region. This is because the region has one of the youngest populations in the world and a rising smartphone penetration. Thus, with Merak Capital’s support and the Saudi’s gaming ambitions, Sheba Joy aims to deliver engaging, culturally grounded gaming experiences to a global audience.