Game design and development
4–5 years- You study
- Game programming, Game design
- Jobs
- Game developer, Game designer
Forecasts published in other countries for the occupation Software developers and programmers: leaning to growth (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2026 (Safar – Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH); Employment and Social Development Canada, June 2025 · Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 – Muharram 1447 AH)1,2. They are not a forecast for the Saudi market, nor by DataPulse.
Where is Game design and development taught?
Taught at 1 university: 0 government and 1 private.
Makkah
- Dar Al-Hekma UniversityPrivate · women
From university pages, admission guides and the Ministry’s Study in Saudi platform4. Gender is tagged where the university publishes it per programme.
Compare with…
A side-by-side view, not a judgement that one major is better. Figures are for the broad field, so two majors in one field share the same figures. Figures: bachelor’s, both sexes, 2024 (1445–1446 AH)35
| Game design and development | Computer science | Software engineering |
|---|---|---|
| Field in the survey | ||
| Information and communication technology | Information and communication technology | Information and communication technology |
| Length of study | ||
| 4–5 years | 4–5 years | 4–5 years |
| Taught at | ||
| 1 university | 38 universities | 18 universities |
| Men | ||
| Not confirmed | Offered | Offered |
| Women | ||
| Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Holders of the field working | ||
| 89.2% | 89.2% | 89.2% |
| Unemployment in the field | ||
| 10.8% | 10.8% | 10.8% |
| Average wage in the field (SAR) | ||
| 12,356 | 12,356 | 12,356 |
| An occupation of its graduates and generative AI | ||
| gradient three of four | — | — |
Availability for men and women from university pages and the Ministry’s programmes platform; last checked 24 October 2026 (13 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH).
What do Game design and development students learn?
Study how video games are designed, programmed and filled with characters and worlds.
- Game programming
- Game design
- Three-dimensional graphics
- Game engines
In Arabic: تصميم الألعاب وتطويرها
How many years is Game design and development?
4–5 years. The length may differ between universities depending on the foundation year.
What jobs do Game design and development graduates do?
Examples of graduates’ jobs, not a full or ranked list. A job is an occupation; the major is one route to it:
- Game developer
- Game designer
- Three-dimensional artist
- Game tester
Computer work in a studio or from home; busier before a launch.
What do Game design and development graduates earn?
GASTAT does not publish pay for each major; this is the average for the “Information and communication technology” field among Saudi bachelor’s holders, 2024 (1445–1446 AH)3.
What is unemployment in the ICT field?
Unemployment among Saudi graduates of the field (bachelor’s, all ages)3:
For the whole field, not this major alone. Past measurement, not a forecast.
Official decisions and signals
- Target: raise household spending on culture and entertainment in the Kingdom from 2.9% to 6%. in force since December 2030 (Sha'ban – Ramadan 1452 AH) (announced target)6
References
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment projections for “Software developers” (BLS 15-1252), 2025–2035 (1446–1457 AH).
- Employment and Social Development Canada, Canadian Occupational Projection System, “Software developers and programmers” (COPS 21232), 2024–2033 (1445–1455 AH).
- General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), Labour Force Survey: Saudi bachelor’s holders in “Information and communication technology”, 2024 (1445–1446 AH).
- Programme pages on university websites, last checked 26 October 2026 (15 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH).
- International Labour Organization, global index of occupational exposure to generative AI, May 2025 (Dhu al-Qa'dah – Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).
- Saudi Vision 2030, 25 April 2016 (18 Rajab 1437 AH).