Saudi Arabian Prince Fahad Al Saud says Gaming Company NA3M Changes Arab Entertainment

A Saudi Arabian Prince is using a simple relaxation tool we take for granted here in the United States as a way to break down barriers for how the world views the Middle East. According to Fahad Al Saud in his keynote speech at the Games for Change Festival in New York last week, a middle eastern gaming company called NA3M was created in order to change the landscape of Arab entertainment online through means of comics, educational software, and, of course, video games.

"By producing games about and for the benefit of the Arab world, a void is filled for under-serviced audiences in gaming and in the media - openly welcoming the rest of the world to explore and discover new content," Fahad said. "From racing and adventure to competitive sporting games, young, enthusiastic developers are able to highlight, share and celebrate their culture and inspirations which without incubation would not be able to come to fruition - leave alone compete in a flourishing international market."

Faham says within the next few years, NA3M will more than double in size. The small company currently has 25 developers from 16 countries. Their main focus is mobile games because, according to the company's chief operating officer Ryan Riegg, that's the easiest way around government restrictions.

A Saudi Prince hopes to use video games to fuel an intellectual renaissance in the Middle East https://t.co/SmSdtRJzYM

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"Government restrictions don't come up when you're building for the rest of the world or mobile because it's really hard to restrict," Riegg says

One of the biggest projects NA3M is working on now is a comic book series titled Saudi Girls Revolution. It's going to be a comic series that preludes a future game of the same title where Saudi women play protagonists in a post-apocalyptic world.

"In this post-apocalyptic future, women are placed in concentration camps with conservative men ruling the land and controlling resources," he said. "It is the story of the girls breaking out and liberating the Arab empire by replacing its leaders."