Up to Dh70,000 a month: How star UAE gamer turned a hobby into a career

What does it take to become a professional gamer?

Passion. An iron-clad, resolute passion, for the game, matched with relentless consistency. Talent may get you noticed, but the effort it takes to turn gaming into a profession is something else entirely.

That is the story of Bachar Alkayal.

At the age of 13, he wasn’t planning to become a star or a prolific gamer. He just loved Call of Duty, and was trying to help others crack the code.“I started my YouTube journey very early,” he says. “Back in 2012, I was only 13 years old. Gaming was purely a passion and YouTube was a hobby.”

There was no strategy deck, and no influencer roadmap to follow. Monetisation was a distant dream. It was just gameplay—sharing tips, tutorials, and knowledge simply because he wanted to. “At that time, there was no intention of turning it into a career,” he says. “It was simply about sharing knowledge and enjoying the game.”

It wasn't just talent that he needed. It was time.

For a very long time, content creation didn’t pay the bills, or anything at all.

“For many years, it was purely effort, time, and passion without financial return,” he says.

Still, he kept uploading.

By 2016, something shifted. His channel crossed 100,000 subscribers—an enormous milestone for a teenager. He began experimenting with formats, rankings, and lists. Ideas like Top 10 games started to take off, and the numbers jumped.

“Each video began to reach one million views,” he recalls.

Every upload ended the same way: his email, quietly placed in the description. Slowly, messages started coming in, followed by offers. “They started paying me,” he says.

Despite the growth, Bachar didn’t immediately leap.

By 2020, he was still working as a civil engineer, balancing a full-time profession with a channel that was beginning to demand everything. Then came the moment many creators both fear and crave. “I finally left it to start gaming full-time.”

In 2021, he crossed one million subscribers on YouTube. The timing mattered, as did adaptability. As attention spans shortened and platforms evolved, he pivoted to short-form content on Instagram and TikTok—compressed storytelling about new games, players, and trends.

“Each video was about 40 to 50 seconds,” he says.

The opportunities multiplied. While YouTube did pay, he admits the earnings are lower in the Middle East compared to markets like the US. The real income came elsewhere, commissions, promotions, and brand partnerships.

“I can earn up to approximately $15,000-20,000 USD,” he says, careful to note that it depends entirely on the month.

Nothing about it was guaranteed, except his love for it.

What truly sets Bachar apart isn’t just skill, it’s voice.

“It’s not just gaming for me,” he says. “I am known for commentary, storytelling about the games, and interesting gaming topics.”

He doesn’t believe in simply churning out content. It’s about narrative, context, and making viewers feel understood—about why games matter in the first place. “And I didn’t make money in the beginning for years,” he repeats. “It was just my passion for it, since I was two.”

Today, in 2026, Bachar Alkayal has nearly four million followers across platforms. The content, however, has never drifted. “My content is still fully focused on gaming and video games.”

Monetisation now comes through two clear streams: platform payouts, ads, views, consistency, and a much larger pillar, sponsorships.

“Once you build a large and engaged gaming audience,” he explains, “especially in a region like the UAE and the Middle East, brands begin to approach you.”

Game publishers, hardware manufacturers, PC and laptop brands, accessories, and tech companies now form the ecosystem around his work.

A hobby at 13 became a full-fledged career. Patience was the real power-up.