GTA 5 Finally Legal in Saudi Arabia and UAE: Turns Out Crime (Sim) Does Pay... Eventually
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
After 12 long years, Grand Theft Auto 5 is finally legally available in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which raises some questions as to why after all of this time. While it may not have Web3 relevance, it's a step forward for gaming in the Middle East.
Right, so Grand Theft Auto 5, that behemoth of open-world mayhem, is *finally* available in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. After, get this, 12 years. Twelve! That's practically a geological age in gaming time. Source: Game Rant.
Aaron McKinley at Game Rant broke the story, and fair dinkum, it's a bit of a head-scratcher. See, GTA's no stranger to a bit of controversy, is it? So, these two Middle Eastern nations banning it back in the day wasn't exactly shocking. But a dozen years on? What gives?
Now, before you start picturing oil sheiks suddenly cruising Los Santos in virtual Bugattis, there's a bit more to it. The Middle East isn't exactly known as a gaming Mecca (though that's changing, more on that in a sec), so this is a bit of a milestone. Maybe this is because a Web3 game with a controversial rating might have trouble with adoption in these countries. But who knows?
See, Saudi Arabia's hosting the first Olympic eSports Games in 2027 (delayed from 2025, mind you). So, maybe they're trying to buff up their gaming cred? Or maybe the censors just realized everyone's been pirating it for years anyway.
Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Media Regulation tweeted about it on July 3rd, saying GTA 5 and GTA Online would be available July 17th. PlayStation Arabia chimed in, confirming the same for the UAE. Both games landed a 21+ rating in Saudi Arabia. That's stricter than the ESRB's "M for Mature" rating. Still, legal access after all this time is a pretty big shift.
Why the change of heart after all this time? Maybe the Saudi and UAE governments decided they're a little more lenient with what warrants a ban. Perhaps GTA 5 isn't as shocking as it seemed over a decade ago. I reckon it's probably a bit of both, plus maybe the realization that they're missing out on a serious chunk of change.
And let's be real, despite its age, GTA 5 is *still* selling like hotcakes. Over 215 million copies, mate! That's more than some countries have people. Being able to sell it in two more regions where it was previously illegal? That's just gravy.
GTA 6's been pushed to 2026, so this is a chance for those gamers to catch up on what they missed. But, that being said, if it's taking so long for GTA 5 to be released, maybe GTA 6 will be here in 2038. Only time will tell.
It's unclear if GTA 6 will get the green light in the UAE and Saudi Arabia right away. Still, at least they've got GTA 5 as a reference point now. Small victories, eh?
Tags: GTA 5, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Gaming News, Rockstar Games
Original article: Game Rant