Less than a year after GTA 6, Rockstar finally launched GTA 5 and GTA online in Saudi Arabia and the UAE

When the world is waiting Big Theft Automatic 6Rockstar has finally released GTA 5 and Online GTA in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Despite launching about 12 years ago and selling 215 million copies in the rest of the world, neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE has cleared Rockstar's 2013 blockbuster until this week.

The age ratings of the game and local regulations prohibit the use of violence, sexuality and drug use have long been the way local fans legally play GTA 5 – though as a Niko Partners The report highlights that some fans have previously gained restrictions by quietly importing boxed copies or downloading games through PlayStation or Xbox accounts linked to other regions.

Now fans can legally buy a copy of GTA 5 that has finally been released under the new 21-plus rating in both countries. After the introduction of localized age ratings earlier in 2016, this higher age limit rollout helped the GTA 5 belatedly released pathways – as well as some help from Rockstar’s parent company to interact to lubricate the wheels.

The recent partnership between Take-Two and an Advanced Initiative Company will see the latter now being a local distributor of all Take-Two titles, including GTA 5, WWE 2K, NBA 2K, NBA 2K and Red Dead Dead Redemption.

The total population of these countries is about 44 million, and it will probably become a market now, when Rockstar finally reached GTA 6.

After more than a decade of development and recent significant delays, the GTA 6 is currently scheduled to launch on May 9, 2026, awaiting further holdings.

Tom Phillips is the news editor for IGN. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on the Blues @tomphillipseg.bsky.social