Metropolia Advances the Global Game Industry – 25 Saudi Arabian Students Complete Game Development Training

Twenty-five students from Saudi Arabia have completed a game development training program at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. The training was delivered under the guidance of professionals from the Finnish game industry.

Over a five-month period, the students completed 30 ECTS credits of studies related to game technology. They officially graduated on August 22. Their instructors included both industry experts and lecturers from Metropolia. During the program, the students took part in local game events and, as their final project, developed an extensive video game, which they programmed, designed, illustrated, and created game mechanics for from the ground up.

This was a diploma program, meaning it is a non-degree continuing education course. All participants already held at least a Bachelor's degree. The program was commissioned by the state-funded Saudi Digital Academy.

According to Metropolia’s Lecturer Antti Laiho, more than 1,000 Saudi students applied for the program named “Game Development Program (Beyond) take place in Helsinki”.

"The students have now acquired at least the fundamentals of game development. During their visits to game studios, they experienced the working culture of the Finnish game industry," Laiho explains.

Internationalization is a key part of Metropolia’s operations, and Finnish education is internationally recognized for its high quality. Educational cooperation is a way to build bridges between cultures and promote knowledge globally. According to Laiho, the collaboration with the Saudi Digital Academy was an opportunity to showcase Finland’s educational culture—characterized by equality and low hierarchy. He also emphasized the importance of ensuring a balanced gender distribution among the students.

Marja Remes, Director of Sales for Metropolia’s Education and Corporate Services, highlights the growing importance of international educational cooperation for the university.

“This kind of collaboration offers our experts opportunities to develop their skills and deepen their understanding of different cultures,” says Remes.

Saudi Arabia, through its Vision 2030 initiative, aims to reduce its economic dependence on oil and diversify its economy. One of the focus areas is the development of the education sector. According to Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the gaming industry is also an increasingly important field with growing demand in Saudi Arabia.

At Metropolia, students can study game development in several programs, including the Game Development specialization within the Information and Communication Technology degree programme, the 3D Animation and Visualization programme, and the XR Design degree programme.

Additional information:

Marja Remes
Sales Director, Education and Enterprise Services
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
marja.remes [at] metropolia.fi (marja[dot]remes[at]metropolia[dot]fi)

Antti Laiho
Senior Lecturer, School of ICT and Industrial Management
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
antti.laiho [at] metropolia.fi (antti[dot]laiho[at]metropolia[dot]fi)