Canadian developer Artisan Studios is setting up shop in Saudi Arabia.

The company say that it will opening a studio in the country's capital, Riyadh. Artisan says that this new venture will employ over 200 members of staff and that it will be teaming up with artists from the MENA region to make new IP.

The studio is being opened following a partnership with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment.

"Riyadh has one of the most dynamic and exciting independent game development communities," Artisan Studios co-founder and CEO Mario Rizzo said.

"After spending the last two years exploring the region, we knew it would be the best place to build a new studio. The support we have received from the Ministry has been world-class, and they have made us feel welcome in the Kingdom. We are honoured to be the first developer invited to set up in Riyadh and look forward to building amazing new games together."

Saleh Khabti, deputy of investment transactions at the Ministry of Investment, added: “Saudi Arabia offers investors such as Artisan access to the fast-growing Saudi market, the largest in the region, providing an excellent platform to access regional growth opportunities across the Middle East. Our journey to $2.5 Bn gaming sector market size by 2030 is assisted by the Ignite program to attract digital content companies and help grow local media and content creation sector for our young and tech savvy population.”

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund – via Savvy Games Group – is looking to invest $38 billion in its local games industry.