Saudi woman changes dreams to reality one electronic gadget at a time

Mariam helps repair electronic gadgets for women who hesitate taking their phones to men due to privacy concerns

A Saudi woman's dream to serve her country with her knowledge and skills turned into a reality after starting her electronic gadgets repair business in Riyadh to help women.

With many negative stories relating to women stemming from the Kingdom, the story of the woman who started her electronics business is an inspiring tale for many.



Mariam Al Subaie saw an interesting opportunity when she realised that her skills with electronic gadgets could help solve the problems of many Saudi women who hesitated to get their mobile phones and laptops repaired for fear of exposing their private documents and pictures to strange men.

“There is a big opportunity in the market. Many women who seek to repair their mobile phones and laptops fear to take them to repair shops run by men because they don’t want to expose private documents and pictures of family members saved in the devices to strangers,” Al Subaie said.

She added that “Privacy is an important issue in Saudi society. I would like to tell all the women in Riyadh that they do not have to compromise their privacy while engaging in any trade. I receive 90 to 120 mobile phones each day. I also receive laptops and other devices to repair.”



The Saudi woman who has so far repaired 49,000 electronic devices successfully for female customers said she employed a team of women technicians and electrical engineers.

“My team is my backbone. We all have the same vision and we want to serve our country by doing what we love. I encourage other women to do the same in my city or other cities of the Kingdom. As women, we need to stand up on our own feet.”

Al Subaie had graduated from Arts schools but said that she had always been intrigued by electronics and that it was her passion. “I was inspired by the German inventor Konrad Zuse who invented the world’s first programmable computer in 1941," she revealed.



She said her startup is only the beginning of her goals in life. “I aspire to become an inspiration for all the women in my society. I would like the younger generation of girls to know about me and decide to take steps to give back to their society,” Al Subaie concluded.

This article originally appeared on Saudi Gazette