🇸🇦 KSA buys all your video games

Yes, your dream did just come true. You received the first ever Musletter. It’s a newsletter for anyone who wants to keep up with everything that’s happening with Muslims (well, not everything). Think of it as a global round-up of news, entrepreneurship updates, and what Muslim change-makers are doing. Plus, it’s the first newsletter that doesn’t hold it against you for not watching UFC since Khabib retired (is he ever not on a jet ski?).

Here’s what’s in store in this issue:

Let’s jump right in!

Maybe don’t rent that place in Northern California just yet

The UAE is nothing if not ambitious. You’re really no one in the GCC unless you have a ‘Vision’ followed by a date so far in the future that you start doing calculations on how much kale you’d need to eat to live long enough to see it come to fruition. 

Rising up the ranks

But betting against the UAE probably isn’t a good idea, and their latest campaign is to become (Pinky and the Brain voice) ‘The startup capital of the world’. Before you chuckle to yourself knowingly and eeny-meeny-miny-moe SF, NYC, or London, keep in mind that according to StartupBlink, the UAE already has three cities which rank in the Startup Ecosystem Index, and the country sits among the top 30 startup ecosystems worldwide.

Unicorn spotted!

And it’s not like the UAE hasn’t produced unicorns in the past (think the Uber-acquired Careem, or the F&B ecosystem Kitopi). But its latest mega-plan is to exceed two million startups and nurture 10 unicorns by 2031. Plus, create 30,000 jobs, and generally become the go-to location for entrepreneurship – that means empowering Emirati startups and attracting international talent.

Align your startup with a national vision

Startups the UAE wants the most? Tech, health care, renewable energy, food security. You have been told.

Would you really want to play for England?

Playing football for England (En-ger-land) is a huge honor filled with racist abuse, booing, unreasonable expectations and ultimate failure in the semi-finals.

Nevertheless, history was made by defender Djed Spence (who normally plays for Tottenham Hotspur) when he came off the bench in a World Cup qualifier against Serbia, making him the first Muslim ever to play for the England national team.

And England won 5-0.

Oh, and as Reuters reported, Serbia was fined for ‘the use of lasers, inappropriate gestures and the obstruction of the national anthem’. It really is the beautiful game.

KSA no longer AFK

Get ready for another million think pieces. Saudi Arabia just went shopping. This time it left the mall with some video games. Actually, it left with all the video games. In a deal worth $55 billion, it acquired little-known entity Electronic Arts (EA). (Something about EA Sports FC, The Sims, Battlefield?)

Wait, who actually bought EA?

The takeover was by a consortium, led by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), alongside US firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners. It’s the biggest leveraged buyout in history. Oh, and it’s the second-biggest gaming acquisition (after Microsoft grabbing Activision Blizzard back in 2022).

It kind of makes sense. Saudi Arabia is all-in on gaming. The country already has one of the fastest-growing gaming markets – $1.2 billion, growing at 8% annually. This tiny little purchase might just push things along a little faster.

Join a Muslim writers group and get that story churning

Ahhh, the tyranny of the blank page. The cursor blinking at you judgingly (is that a word?) There are plenty of reasons not to write your book: lack of time, lack of confidence, not really sure where to start, no one to bounce ideas off.

But now there’s an answer. Actually, there’s a whole bunch of answers.

Finding your people

From the Spain/Portugal-based Muslim Writers Salon, whose membership includes Muslim writers from around the world, and hosts online writer interviews, water-cooler discussions, and podcasts; to the Toronto-based Muslim Literary Festival that brings in agents and other industry folk to talk to writers, as well as guided writing sessions online; to the Muslim Writers Collective that hosts open-mic events across the US and Canada. These are just some of the groups that enable Muslim writers to meet, discuss, and share work.

So whether you’re an accomplished author, or have never put pen to overpriced e-ink tablet, there’s a place for you.

A page a day. Just write a page a day. In a year you have a book. (Walter Mosley said that, and he knows a thing or two about writing.)

Magnifying glasses away, no more scrutinizing labels!

If you’re into supplements, then you should probably know about Hamza Hanif – a former track athlete who was told by his coach to take collagen after sustaining an injury. He duly did and found it really sped up his recovery (it’s also supposed to be good for skin, hair, and who knows what else). 

Hanif assumed the supplement he was using was whey-based. It wasn’t. It was animal-based. See if you can guess which animal?

So he started Sunnah Supplements, positioning the company as the world’s first halal supplement brand. And he’s pretty strict on how he does business – no external funding, 100% Muslim-owned.

It’s family day in America’s pastime (no, not baseball)

Put aside for a moment the blatant military propaganda and dubious concussion protocols and let’s admit that something really nice just happened in the National Football League.

The Houston Texans held their annual Muslim Family Day and credit where credit is due, it’s something of a model that other NFL teams should follow. Families were treated to seats at the 50-yard line, halal food, a dedicated prayer space – and a meet-and-greet with linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.

They also hosted the first-ever ‘Muslim Community Champions’ awards with both young people and adults nominated by the community for the incredible impact they’re making.

It’s enough to make you forget the Texans have started 2-3. (Sorry, Eagles fan here.)

That’s all for this week, I’m off to see which Dagestani fighter I need to make du’a for (the answer is Islam Makhachev, the date is November 15).

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