Parenting Tips 02 November 2026 7 min read

Roblox in the Gulf: What Changed, and How to Build Games

Your son or daughter spends an hour in their favourite game, then you hear on the news that it's blocked in a neighbouring country and that chat was switched off in another, and you wonder: does this affect us?

The answer depends on the country. On June 15, 2026, PocketGamer.biz quoted Roblox's regional general manager saying chat will stay off in most of the Middle East until moderation of Arabic content matures, with no date given.

In this guide we lay out what we found about Roblox in the Gulf, country by country, then suggest practical steps that move your son or daughter from only playing to making their own games.

What is Roblox's status in each Gulf country?

It differs by country: blocked in Qatar and Oman according to what has been published, a conditional return in Kuwait, and chat switched off without a declared block in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. These reports keep changing, so confirm your own country's position with its regulator.

Saudi Arabia: Roblox switched off voice and text chat in September 2025, coordinating with the General Authority for Media Regulation, and no block was announced.
UAE: the company switched chat off temporarily in September 2025 after talks with the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, and we found no new block.
Kuwait: blocked in August 2025, then reported unblocked on October 28, 2025, after the company agreed to switch off chat entirely, remove content offensive to local customs and add parental protections, according to sources at the communications authority.
Qatar: blocked on August 13, 2025 with no government statement at the time, and we found nothing confirming it was lifted.
Oman: the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority told the newspaper Atheer in June 2025 that the game is officially blocked.
Bahrain: The National listed it among 12 countries where chat was switched off in September 2025, and we found no official block.

In April 2026, The National confirmed that chat was still off across wide parts of the region, without confirming the current status of Qatar and Oman. And switching chat off doesn't mean every risk is gone. Content and in-game spending still need your attention.

Are games the whole problem?

No. The concern in the Gulf centres on chat, content and contact with strangers, not on the idea of playing. And game-making is an industry Saudi Arabia backs officially: its National Gaming and Esports Strategy, launched in 2022, aims for more than 39,000 new jobs by 2030.

In Dubai, Dubai SME announced on January 29, 2026 a programme called GameForward to accelerate Emirati game developers, starting in March 2026 with game design masterclasses and expert mentoring.

And that's the opportunity: a son or daughter who knows what pulls them into a game has a good start on making one, because every game they play was built by someone with code and design.

How can you talk about it without it feeling like a punishment?

Start with curiosity, not a ban. Students who feel you understand their game tell you more. Try these steps:

Ask them to teach you the game, and what they like about it.
Explain simply that the recent decisions are about protecting players from content and strangers.
Suggest they make a game from their own ideas instead of only playing.
Agree on a fixed weekly slot for building, so the project doesn't stay a postponed idea.

How can they move from playing to making games?

In small steps that start on paper before the computer, and move from a simple tool to a stronger one. This is an order we suggest, not an official rule:

Ask what they love about their game: the story, the challenge or the characters? Then they write their game's rules on paper.
They sketch one level: who is the player, what's the goal, and when does the level end?
They build a simple version in Scratch: the Scratch Foundation lists it for ages 8 and up, and ScratchJr for ages 5 to 7.
They add one feature a week: a score counter, then an obstacle, then a second level.
They move to a real game engine: such as Godot, a free, open-source engine for 2D and 3D games that often suits ages 12 and up with some help.
They show the game to family and friends: and note what they liked and what confused them.

If Roblox is available in your country, it can be another step for those who love it, as long as their account stays under your supervision. If it's blocked, we don't recommend working around the block, since building a game in Scratch doesn't need it. And if they'd like structured guidance, there is a coding and game design track.

What are the common mistakes when teaching game making?

Some mistakes repeat at the start:

Starting with a huge game: a small game finished in two weeks beats a big one that never ends.
Copying a whole game: they should take one idea from it and add their own twist.
Skipping the paper design: clear rules save hours of rework.
Adults building it for them: help and ask questions, but the game stays theirs.
Waiting for a perfect game: the first one just needs to work and make someone laugh when they try it. Quality comes with repetition.

If they get stuck halfway, that's part of learning. Ask them to explain where they stopped, because they often find the fix while explaining.

How can you protect them if they play Roblox now?

Start with their account settings, since Roblox changed its accounts in 2026. In April 2026, according to The National, it announced age-based accounts for ages 5 to 8 and 9 to 15, with age checks by face scan or ID, and unverified users get a narrower version without communication.

Open the parental controls: link your account to theirs, add a PIN, and limit in-game spending.
Play with them once: to see what games they open on their own.
In the UAE: you can look a game up on Sannif, which shows potential risks before they play it.

How does Megaminds Academy help students make games?

At Megaminds Academy, we teach students aged 6 to 16 coding and game design, robotics and AI in live online classes, in small groups with certified instructors. Among the available tracks are Godot and Unity. Every student builds real projects and earns an accredited certificate after each level.

Frequently asked questions about Roblox in the Gulf

Is Roblox blocked in Saudi Arabia?

No block has been announced. Roblox switched off voice and text chat for users in Saudi Arabia in September 2025, coordinating with the General Authority for Media Regulation. Decisions can change, so check the official authority before relying on this.

Is Roblox back in Kuwait?

Yes. The lifting of the block was reported on October 28, 2025, after the company agreed to switch off chat entirely, remove content offensive to local customs and add parental protections, according to sources at the communications authority quoted by Arab Times.

At what age can students start making games?

They can start at 5 to 7 with ScratchJr, from age 8 with Scratch, and from around 12 with an engine like Godot, with help. What matters is starting with a small game and finishing it, which beats a big project that never ends.

Finally, blocking decisions can change from one month to the next, but what your son or daughter builds with their own hands stays with them. Start by asking: what game do you want to make?

Book a trial class and let them build their first game.