London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Meet the Saudi entrepreneur pursuing her passion of gaming

Meet the Saudi entrepreneur pursuing her passion of gaming

Women in Saudi Arabia have recently been venturing into new industries, making good headway with added support from their communities, including the exclusive club of indie game developers.

An ambitious dreamer and a gamer, Saudi entrepreneur Noor Alkhadra paved her way into the games development sector after years of playing games. She started gaming as a six-year-old thanks to her older brother and his treasure trove of games, and her passion grew after her brother left home to study abroad. Alkhadra was left with a goldmine of games and has not stopped since.

“Games help you believe in winning and never giving up. As gamers, the process of always finding a solution becomes ingrained in you,” Alkhadra told Arab News, adding: “Challenges become opportunities. A game is never made for you to lose no matter how difficult it is, it is meant for you to win and find creative and clever ways to do so. That habit is carried on with you throughout life.”

Her journey into game development began while studying for her bachelor’s degree in fine arts, specializing in video game design at the Academy of Art University. She continued her education, obtaining a master’s in technology entrepreneurship at the University of Central Lancashire in England, and kick-started her company WeGeek, a video game events company.


Tapping into an underdeveloped and underscored field, she launched her video games event company in 2016, where public engagement was an integral part of the company’s vision. The unique community-focused gaming events company included testing, competitions, showcasing indie game developers’ work, lightsaber shows, and more.

With over 20 events launched across London that focused on esports, gaming communities, and indie developers, Alkhadra partnered with companies such as Nintendo, Bandai Namco, Ubisoft, and Konami to further boost public engagement and give a better understanding of a game.

She initially wanted to start her company in Saudi Arabia. However, at the time, men and women were separated in events, and given that there are more male gamers than female gamers, it didn’t make sense for the young entrepreneur, so she opted for Britain instead until the time was right.

“I look to myself and say wow, these are companies to be respected and appreciated for what they provided to the gaming community over the years, and I’m lucky to have partnered with them,” she added.

In 2018, Alkhadra paved another path and joined forces with Roborace, the first autonomous car racing vehicle, which became WeGeek’s partnership manager.


She said that Roborace’s work is not far from the gaming industry. “They wanted to gamify the experience by having the car race with obstacles like in a racing video game, which is where I would come in. The CEO at the time was hired from one of the biggest gaming companies, Bandai Namco.”

In 2019, another avenue of development was starting, when she launched “Robonetica,” a platform that teaches teenagers how to code robots through video games in Saudi Arabia.

“I have developed a few video games when I was in university and later moved on to leading and overlooking the development of our Robonetica game: ‘The Red Planet Project’,” Alkhadra said.

“I was working on Robonetica in the period before COVID-19 emerged, it was closely related to artificial intelligence as the point of it was to teach the next generation how to code autonomous robots.


“We were aiming to give people access, enabling them to create their future rather than just being in the hands of the Zuckerburgs and Musks.”

To further her mark in the gaming industry, she launched a YouTube channel at the start of the year where she reviews games and tech devices, as well as providing educational tips on entering the sector, gaming news, and funny moments in the industry.

“I usually review the latest games when they come out. I focus on everything that makes a game good, such as character development, game mechanics, and storyline,” she added.

Being a woman involved in the indie gamer development industry helped her break an entrenched stereotype about gamers’ gender specifications.

“I’ve always loved video games, being in the gaming industry for over seven years in multiple disciplines from business to entertainment. But being a woman in the video game development industry was very uncommon, even in the US,” she said.

“I remember being the only girl in class, sometimes feeling uncomfortable in the beginning, but then I got used to it.

“Initially, I did feel like I had to work three times harder to prove myself. Then I stopped caring about proving myself and let my work speak for itself. Even on YouTube, I refuse to be called a girl gamer, I’m just a gamer.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×