By Muhammed Aladdin
Nowadays more than ever, young Arabs are publishing creative content on YouTube, or technically, they have been there contributing to the platform since it first launched in 2005. Back then, YouTube was not as popular, but everything is changing with the rise of many creative content creators that provide material that is relevant to the Arab audience.
YouTube itself is reaching out to Egypt and the Arab World; just last year, the video-hosting platform has opened a YouTube Space in Dubai’s Studio City in March. According to Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s Global Chief Business Officer, that with the strong presence of YouTube in Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, there will be plans for opening such hubs in the aforementioned countries.
Out of the many YouTubers that come to mind, there are a few who stand out with their brilliant content. Here is our list:
Njoud Al Shammari
With 1.2 million subscribers, Njoud Al Shammari is one of the most influential female YouTubers of the Arab World. The Saudi woman creates comedic videos that range from sarcasm to tips and fun tutorials.
In addition to the extremely entertaining content she is offering, she is also empowering Saudi women all over the kingdom. In 2017, she has been chosen as the most influential Saudi Woman on YouTube.
As more creators like Njoud grow their channels rapidly, many young Arabs also look into how YouTube monetization works behind the scenes, often using a YouTube Money Calculator to estimate how their audience size and video performance could translate into actual revenue potential.
Da7ee7
With more than 500,000 subscribers and 18 million video views, Ahmed El-Ghandour, or Da7ee7 as you may know him, is revolutionizing the idea of creative content itself. He is producing something unprecedented in the Arab World. He provides educational content in a fun hip way that makes the most intricate of topics sound like a walk in the park; he also uses comedy to loosen the viewer and prepare them for the informative content.
Laila Mourad
In 2015, the Lebanese-Canadian vlogger launched her YouTube channel. At first, her videos were about weight loss and workout routines, but recently, she has been vlogging her day-to-day life and travels.
The talented Mourad’s channel has grown in a relatively short span of time. She now has a following of over 600,000 subscribers and 16.2 million views on YouTube.
Egychology
“Egychology, first and foremost, is a service to the people, and it did not and will not change its goal, and that is to offer a light in the darkness,” said Ahmed Samir, the founder of the YouTube channel Egychology.
The channel is offering scientific content with historical context, some philosophy, and a tinge of comedy. The information is presented in the simplest way possible so that all people from different backgrounds would grasp it.
The Hybrids
Ascia AKF is one of the most well-known fashion bloggers of Kuwait. She has a following of two million people on Instagram while her fashion tutorial channel on YouTube, The Hybrids, has about 160,000 subscribers. Her partner in blogging is her husband Ahmad ASB.
She is an entrepreneur with her own fashion startup, Desert Baby Kuwait, and often in her videos, she collaborates with a wide range of fashion, beauty, and skincare brands and products.
Espitalia
Eman El-Emam, an Egyptian scriptwriter and content creator, is on a mission to deliver informative medical content to the young Arab audience. Two years ago, despite the fact that the channel was followed by only 10,000 subscribers, YouTube has chosen it from hundreds of other channels to support in the Next Up Class of 2018. The channel is now offering its unique content to more than half a million subscribers, and YouTube has chosen it to be one of the Next Up Mentors in 2018 to help guide new channels on a path of success.