{
  "id": 17864470,
  "title": "Saudi-backed Kingdom of Gaming event delayed to 2027",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/saudi-backed-kingdom-of-gaming-event-delayed-to-2027",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-02T21:46:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GamesIndustry",
    "slug": "gamesindustry",
    "url": "https://www.gamesindustry.biz/saudi-backed-kingdom-of-gaming-event-delayed-to-2027"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Kingdom of Gaming, an event backed by the Saudi government, has been postponed from its originally scheduled dates in December to a later date in 2027. The shift in timing was quietly announced last week on the event's website and social media platforms, which now indicate it will take place in 2027 instead of December 1-3 in Riyadh. No official statement or reason for the delay has been provided. Benjamin Kratsch, the chief business development officer at Levelz Gaming Group, a Saudi government-linked venture builder, confirmed the event's future during a LinkedIn post on October 28, stating, \"Kingdom of Gaming is coming, it takes a little longer given the current situation.\"\n\nThe Kingdom of Gaming is organized by Tahaluf, a collaboration between Informa, which manages GDC, and the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones. The event had been anticipated to draw over 20,000 attendees, feature 500 studios, and attract 200 investors, with top companies like Ubisoft and Roblox participating. However, Informa and Tahaluf have not responded to inquiries regarding the postponement. Informa disclosed on October 27 in a trading update that escalating tensions in Saudi Arabia have led to the postponement of additional events, such as its Cityscape Global show, now set for January 2027, and the in-person Global Health Exhibition, rescheduled to October 2027. As a result, Informa now anticipates no revenue from Saudi Arabia this year. The delay coincides with the escalating regional conflict following the US and Israel's war with Iran, marked by escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport.",
  "summary": "Kingdom of Gaming, a new Saudi government-backed games industry event, has been pushed back from December to an unspecified date in 2027. Read more",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}