MENA has entered the game

If you were to guess the origins of gaming in the Middle East, you might think big names like Nintendo, Sega or Atari were responsible.

But, it was actually a Kuwaiti console you’ve never heard of that kickstarted gaming in the Middle East.

Sakhr was the first, and to date, last Middle Eastern video game console.

It was an Arabic version of the MSX computers developed by Microsoft for Eastern markets, and developed by Mohammad Al-Sharekh’s Sakhr Software Company in the 1980s.

• The company was also responsible for developing the Arabic Keyboard, which is still used today, as well as converting the Basic programming language to Arabic.

Al-Sharekh’s goal was to create Arabic content for what was then new technology.

Sakhr and MSX devices connected to a TV and had a port for a data recorder that played cassettes.

To start a game, you had to rewind the cassette and play it from the beginning.

Now, that’s a throwback!

Sakhr created Arabic games, mostly educational, ranging from English teaching games to trivia, math, and programming.

They also translated a few MSX titles into Arabic.

• Fun fact, it was also one of the first companies to develop an Arabic-language version of the popular video game Tetris, which was released in 1988 and proved a huge hit with Arabic-speaking gamers!

Al-Sharekh built Sakhr into the strongest software and hardware brand in the Arab world.

Undoubtedly, this attracted talented Arab young people into the fields of tech and software development.

And the company experienced tremendous success.

In the late ’80s, selling over 2 million devices and more than 5 million software packages across the Arab world.

One of the primary reasons for this success was that Sakhr computers were used widely beyond gaming at home - they were also utilised by schools to teach kids the Basic programming language, as well as typing.

The Sakhr computer became widespread across the region.

But Sakhr failed to keep up with industry developments and was further hampered by the Gulf War, losing many of its brightest minds when the company had to move from Kuwait to Egypt.

Sakhr hardware was discontinued by the late '90s.

The evolution of Middle Eastern gaming progressed from Sakhr to arcade games, Super Nintendo, Sega Mega Drive, PlayStation, online gaming, mobile gaming, and now esports.

Let there be no doubt, the region has always been a player.

And the Middle East’s gaming industry, a sleeping giant, is now starting to wake up.