There’s no underestimating the popularity of the online game and game creation platform Roblox. Growing from its modest beginnings in 2006 into a digital juggernaut nearly two decades later, Roblox not only offers users a host of varied game experiences — it also introduces players to the fundamentals of game design and creation. Now the platform is officially available to MENA residents following the release of its Arabic-language version.
The release opens a valuable new market for the wildly popular title, which reports an average of 85.3 million daily users and approximately half of all American children under age 16 among its monthly users. And it’s another valuable partnership for Gulf Cooperation Council countries which has made technology and related industries — video games included — the centerpiece of its ambitious economic revitalization agenda. Given Roblox’s reputation not only for entertainment but also for sparking interest and learning in game development, it’s well aligned with the GCC’s goals to inspire tech-related career choices among its youth.
“At Roblox, we have a mission to connect a billion people with optimism and civility and to do that we need a platform that is accessible for all," said Roblox CEO and co-founder David Baszucki at Dubai’s World Governments Summit. “With the growth of our community here in the UAE and in the wider MENA region, we are excited to share that we are now supporting the Arabic language on the Roblox platform, providing millions of Arabic speakers worldwide with access to the platform’s features, on all devices."
Indeed, MENA growth on the platform was a major factor in officially bringing the game to the region. According to the company, it saw its daily active users grow in five Arabic-speaking countries by 80%, while engagement hours rose by 76%, between Q3 2021 and Q3 2024.
“It’s really significant when we add a new language to the platform,” Baszucki told CNN. “It means so many things. There’s a huge opportunity for content that might be more local versus the world as a whole, so we’re really optimistic about the Gulf region.”
Launched the same day as Baszucki’s announcement at the Dubai World Governments Summit in February, the Roblox Arabic release is accompanied by text chat filtering, moderation, and automatic translation tools. The technologies allow Arabic users to enjoy other users’ creations and promote their own to the entire global Roblox community, irrespective of players’ locations in the world.
While a free-to-play title, Roblox includes in-app purchases, with some game creators even making money off their creations via the in-game Robux currency. Given the financial model, families will also appreciate the parental control functions to monitor and control spending, as well as kids’ overall screen time and activity. And with new AI features due to roll out over time, Baszucki said that this is only the beginning of a new era for the platform, both in Arabic-speaking countries and beyond.
“AI is getting so good and evolving so quickly,” he said at the Dubai World Governments Summit. “We have over 200 AI systems on Roblox. We are clear that we are looking at everything on the platform for safety and stability. We are so into the notion of online safety — it’s a top priority.