One of the world’s most popular mobile games, PUBG Mobile has successfully concluded the Map the Kingdom initiative in Saudi Arabia. The initiative reached more than 300,000 students, engaged with more than 20,000 and attracted 1,100 registrations for the hackathon, across 32 days of on-ground activations.
The initiative, supported by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and the Saudi Esports Federation, was held across eight universities across Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar.
PUBG MOBILE
Built around PUBG MOBILE’s WOW mode, the Map the Kingdom initiative included events at the universities, as well as student training and workshops, empowering students to create custom game maps that showcase the Kingdom’s rich heritage, identity and future ambitions.
Abdullah A. Aldhalaan, General Manager of Digital Capabilities Development at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia, said: “The creativity demonstrated by the next generation of Saudi creators participating in the PUBG MOBILE Map the Kingdom initiative clearly reflects the ability of Saudi youth to transform cultural heritage into innovative digital experiences. This reaffirms that games are no longer merely a source of entertainment, but a platform for expression, preserving identity, and showcasing Saudi Arabia’s rich cultural depth in a modern and compelling way. This initiative comes as part of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology’s efforts to empower national talent, foster digital innovation, and develop youth skills in programming and game design, contributing to the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and supporting the Kingdom’s transformation into a world-class digital environment.”
Ibrahim Al Sheddi, Chief of Shared Services at the Saudi Esports Federation, said: “The Map the Kingdom initiative demonstrates how impactful youth-focused programs can be when industry, academia and government work together. At the Saudi Esports Federation, we are committed to shaping an environment where young talent is inspired, trained and empowered to lead the next wave of innovation in gaming and esports, in line with the ambitions of Vision 2030.”
The Map the Kingdom initiative culminated with an event held at VOV Gaming, Riyadh Front Mall, where the top 4 student teams performed a live showcase of their WOW maps, attended by university students, parents, content creators, PUBG MOBILE fans, tech organisations, the eight participating teams and representatives from the eight universities. The event provided a platform for students to present to their peers and industry experts as well as develop their public speaking and interpersonal skills.
A team from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals was named the first-place winner for their WOW map, Petrol Genius. The team will receive SAR 20,000 along with a trip to Tencent’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China, where they will take part in an exclusive internship experience. The second-place team was awarded SAR 15,000 for their project, while the third-place team received SAR 5,000 in recognition of their work.
Joe Zoghbi, Game Publishing Lead at PUBG MOBILE MENA, said: “The Map the Kingdom initiative was a groundbreaking initiative that fostered creativity, teamwork and showcased the cultural heritage of the Kingdom in a way that’s never been done before. We congratulate the team from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals on their winning Map and we have been deeply impressed and inspired by the quality of all the projects and the enthusiasm, curiosity and commitment of all the participating students that elevated the initiative and made it a huge success.”
The initiative is the latest of PUBG MOBILE’s efforts to provide a unique platform for aspiring developers, designers, and gaming enthusiasts to showcase their skills, collaborate on groundbreaking ideas, and contribute to the growth of Saudi Arabia’s vibrant gaming and esports industry.
PUBG MOBILE is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play Store.
