Five Saudi YouTubers you really don’t want to miss

If you turn on the TV in Saudi or the Arab world these days, you’ll get the usual mix of news, religious programming, or Turkish melodramatic series. But, lately there’s been an alternative media scene on the rise that's championing cultural change in the Kingdom. With youth compromising 70 percent of the country’s population, traditional media hasn’t been very entertaining for many young people. That’s also why the Kingdom has pledged to invest $64 billion in the entertainment industry over the next 10 years.

The alternative media industry in Saudi Arabia is in a class of its own, with a plethora of original content produced by local YouTubers or bloggers. By the beginning of 2018, the number of internet users in the Kingdom touched 30.25 million— in a country with a population of 33.25 million. YouTube is the most active platform, with 23.61 million users. Facebook comes in second at 21.95 million people, according to Global Media Insight. Apps like YouTube have opened doors for many young Saudis to create their own businesses, while also providing “designer content” unique to the Gulf, Arab pop culture.

Here are some of the most popular Saudi YouTubers and artists today:

1) Telfaz11 - Founded in 2011, this Saudi-based digital media company features many young, creative content creators from the Kingdom, and the Gulf. The channel has over 2.4 million subscribers and more than 295 million views. In June 2018, the startup raised $9 million in a ‘Series A’ round of funding. The investment came from Riyadh-based Saudi Technology Ventures (STV). With a team of young, tech savvy storytellers, Telfaz 11 has managed to usher in a new era of creative expression in Saudi Arabia. Their shows center on pop culture, cinema, and a comedic approach to stereotypes against the Arab world. They also feature Standup from the Jeddah Comedy Club. Some of their clients include Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Uber, P&G, and Ikea. 

2) Folaim Ya Gholaim - This channel’s one million subscribers go far beyond the desert Kingdom. Its Los Angeles-based founder and filmmaker, Meshal Al jaser, has used his work to open up new doors for creative expression and artistic freedom. With a hint of dark comedy, much of Al jaser’s work focuses on what some might consider as outdated social norms and taboo subjects in the Arab world. Al jaser has also addressed cultural gaps between the Middle East and the west, all while producing films with impressive cinematography and creative directing skills. The short film below— in which he plays the role of an autistic youth— creates awareness for how people with autism are often stereotyped in the Arab world.

3) Majed Alesa - This producer and director is in a class of his own. His YouTube channel has over 154 million views, and more than 566,000 subscribers. Alesa also created 8iess, known as “80s Generation Studies.” The agency produces many of the videos featured on his YouTube channel. One of his hit videos, “BARBS,” which is his way of saying “dance” in slang Saudi dialect— has over 55 million views. It combines an eclectic sense of humor, hip-hop beats, and local dance moves. It’s one of those things that you just have to see for yourself.

4) UTURN Entertainment - UTURN started as a digital production company in 2010 with original YouTube shows such as Noon Alniswa, Ana W Heya, Aldor Al-asher. Since then, their work took off and the company landed a $10 million investment in 2016 from Beirut-based VC Leap Ventures. In 2015, UTURN’s CEO, Kaswara Alkhatib, was ranked as #1 on Forbes Middle East list of Entrepreneurs Shaping Saudi Arabia’s future. Today, UTURN’s shows target Arab and Khaleeji audiences worldwide, with content tailored for viewers in Saudi, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The channel has over 3 million subscribers and 20 sub-channels with comedic skits, cooking tutorials, and car shows like the one below. 

5) Tamtam - This soulful songstress might be the last on the list, but she’s definitely not the least. Tamtam, who is based in Los Angeles, uses her music to uplift women and to address social limitations in Saudi and Middle Eastern culture. When Tamtam first started making music, she did a video called “Little Girl” back in 2014. At the time, her parents had asked her not to show her face or reveal her name. But, today all of that has changed. She’s now featured on Spotify and Apple Music. Her latest music video, which has nearly 1 million views, is actually directed by Meshal Al jaser, the founder of Folaim Ya Gholaim.

Reem Abdellatif is the editor in chief of Argaam Plus. You can finder her on Twitter: @Reem_Abdellatif.

Write to Reem Abdellatif at reem.a@argaam.com