What Are the General Controls for the Clearance of Electronic Games in the Kingdom?

The General Authority of Media Regulation (formerly the General Commission for Audiovisual Media) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has established several controls for the clearance of electronic games for commercial establishments. These include: the game must be pre-classified with the Saudi age rating by the authority, two new and sealed samples of the game must be submitted with the original packaging displaying the age rating obtained from the authority, and the establishment must have a valid commercial registration license, along with an import and distribution license. The clearance applies to only one device, and each additional device must be submitted separately for clearance.

The clearance of electronic games aims to examine the game's content and ensure its suitability for the age rating. This is done by registering the game through the Media Services Platform (I'lam), launched by the authority to enable beneficiaries to engage in media activities and fulfill all necessary requirements (licensing and renewal, classification and clearance, and reporting violations). The I'lam platform targets services provided by television and radio channels, podcasts, streaming services, production and content distribution studios, cinema, film distribution, electronic games, as well as newspapers and magazines, book and publication clearance, publishing and distribution houses, printing presses, marketing and public relations agencies, advertising, media consulting, and media measurement offices.