Sponsored By

The crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Salman, has purchased a 33.3 percent stake in Japanese game company SNK through his charity 'Misk.'

Chris Kerr, News Editor

November 27, 2020

1 Min Read

The crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Salman, has purchased a 33.3 percent stake in Japanese game company SNK through his charity 'Misk.' 

As explained in a press release (via Google Translate), the deal cost Misk around 813 million riyals ($216.7 million) and roughly values SNK at around $650 million. 

This won't be the last investment the charity makes in the Metal Slug and Samurai Showdown developer, either, and Misk is now set to purchase another 17.7 percent of SNK's shares to raise its ownership of the company to 51 percent -- giving it a controlling stake. 

The deal will likely come under scrutiny given Saudi Arabia's poor human rights record, with a recent report from Human Rights Watch highlighting the current regime's poor treatment of activists, women, and migrants (to name but some of the issues in the region). 

Earlier this year, Misk itself was placed under review by Saudi Arabian leaders after being linked to a number of alleged scandals. As reported by the Financial Times, the organization and some of its officials have been tied to assassination and espionage attempts -- leading to questions about the integrity and purpose of the charity. 

SNK, which rebranded in 2016 after being acquired by Chinese investors, has yet to comment on the deal publicly.

About the Author(s)

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

Daily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inbox

You May Also Like