Saudi Arabia Once Banned Videogames. Now, It Wants to Export Them.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia—For years, this kingdom’s Islamic clerics waged a war on videogames, banning popular titles such as “Pokémon” for promoting blasphemy, violence and laziness. Now, Saudi Arabia is pouring $40 billion into a bid to become a world leader in a videogame industry beloved by its booming youth population.