RETROSPECTIVE
A Console You’ve Never Heard of Kickstarted Gaming in the Middle East
Sakhr was the first (and last, so far) Middle Eastern video game console
Everyone remembers their first console. If you’re in your thirties or forties, you’re part of the first generation to have grown up with consoles, witnessing their evolution over time.
What was your first game console?
I do remember owning an Atari 2600; I have vague memories of playing it with my siblings and cousins. But the console that stands out the most in my memory was called Sakhr صخر. It represented the very best gaming memories from my childhood.
Sakhr was developed by the Kuwaiti Sakhr Software Company (CEO: Mohammed Al-Sharekh) in the 1980s. Sakhr was an Arabic version of the MSX computers developed by Microsoft for Eastern markets. Sakhr Software Company developed the Arabic Keyboard, which is still used today, as well as converted the Basic language to Arabic. There are many versions of Sakhr Computers. But the most popular version is AX170.
