The Gulf region loves social media, from Twitter to Instagram and now TikTok.
In fact, we love the video-sharing platform so much that its top regional influencers have doubled their follower counts within the past year, according to new research by analytics and technology consultancy Anavizio.
This means the cumulative follower total among the top 10 Gulf personalities on TikTok grew from 24.6 million at the beginning of 2020, to 54.6 million in February – an increase of 120 per cent.
The biggest boost in the platform's popularity happened in Oman and Qatar, where follower growth among the top three influencers increased by 658 and 674 per cent, respectively. But the region's 10 most popular people on the Chinese app all come from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
So, who are they?
Interestingly, it's not who you'd expect. Those big-name stars on Instagram, who have tens of millions of followers, haven't quite made the smooth transition to TikTok just yet.
In fact, beauty mogul Huda Kattan is one of the few regional celebrities who has successfully crossed over, and yet she still doesn't make it on to this list.
No doubt, things will change drastically in the months and years to come. But, for now, here's who makes the top 10.
1. Jumana Khan / @jumana_khan_
The model and fashion influencer, who lives in Dubai and is of Indian heritage, has 8.9 million followers and almost 206m likes. She posts about 8.8 videos per week, with an average of 169,800 views each.
She's so famous, she's even had her face plastered in lights along the side of the Burj Khalifa.
Her last few videos on TikTok, at the time of writing, were of her dancing with celebrity dance choreographer Shahid Mohammed.
Khan is active across all social media and also has a YouTube channel, where she posts general content about her life. There has also been speculation that she will soon star in some South Indian movies.
2. Ziba Gulley / @xzayx89
Following close behind Khan is Ziba Gulley, who has 8.8m followers and 247.9m likes. She shares an average of 23.8 videos per week, with 328,600 views each.
Gulley, who works in the hospitality industry, was born and raised in Abu Dhabi, where she still lives, but is originally from Afghanistan.
She joined TikTok in September 2018 and has since become known worldwide.
It was her funny short videos that snagged fans, according to her website, especially one in which she argues for Dh1 karak chai and her riffs on the famous Pashto saying "Ghareeb Taba De".
3. Sarah Milad / @sarahhmiladd
Born and raised in the UAE, Sarah Milad quickly became known for her short but hilarious lip-synchs and dubbing videos.
Today, she has 7.2m followers and 82.2m likes, and posts about 3.8 videos per week which get, on average, 427,600 views each.
She's also known for her glamorous make-up looks and dance videos.
4. Mohammed Al Shamsi / @iimeeto
The first entry on the list from Saudi Arabia is Mohammed Al Shamsi, who makes his subscribers laugh across all platforms with his comedic videos. In fact, his mission statement is to make us "happy", according to his YouTube profile.
Al Shamsi currently has 7.1m followers but an impressive 174m likes, posts an average of 7.5 videos per week and gets a whopping 3.5m views per post.
He's most famous for playing a character called Umm Mohamed, who is deemed as a "typical" Khaleeji mother, but with a mischievous streak.
5. Faryal / @faryal_fairyyy
Back in the UAE, Pakistani fitness instructor Faryal has been making her own waves on TikTok with her lip-synch videos.
The influencer, who is in her mid-twenties, has racked up 6.7m followers and 131.9m likes by posting about 12.4 videos per week, which have an average of 308,400 views each.
Faryal is particularly loved for her stylish yet modest outfits.
While she has presence on other social media platforms, it is TikTok where she really shines.
6. Ayesh / @a5_l
Ayesh, from Saudi Arabia, has 4.4m followers and 43.3m likes, even though he only posts about 1.6 videos per week. Each of those videos gets about 1.6m views, though.
To a backdrop of predominantly hip-hop music, Ayesh dances, back flips and lip-synchs, often with other people – most frequently other TikTok-ers – making guest appearances in his videos.
Ayesh is also big on Snapchat, but has seemingly little presence elsewhere online.
7. Khadeeja Ashraf / @dooj214
Khadeeja Ashraf, who is based in Jeddah, has 3.1m followers and more than 67m likes on her TikTok page. That's with about 3.7 posts per week and an average view count of 542,500.
She's an actress and her talent is obvious after scrolling through just a few of her lip-synch videos.
Her feed features a mix of solo performances and group gigs in which she ropes in plenty of friends and fellow TikTok users.
She's even done a duet with fellow top 10 TikTokers Al Shamsi and Marwan Salman.
8. Meshaal bin Misfer / @sh3lan
A quick scroll through this Saudi actor's TikTok feed is all it takes to know why he's on this list.
Meshaal bin Misfer, or Shaalan, has a reel of well-made videos featuring him dancing or generally acting silly by himself or with friends.
That's what's propelled him to the top of the TikTok charts, with 3.1m followers and more than 53.3m likes.
He might only post an average of 1.6 videos per week, but they still get about 618,900 views.
9. Marwan Salman / @meeeero1
He might have 2.9m followers, but Saudi star Marwan Salman also has an incredible 65.7m likes on his TikTok account.
The self-professed poet, singer and actor posts almost four times a week and each video gets about 651,800 views.
His cheeky videos regularly feature him hanging out with friends or dancing, and he's even done a few collaborations with fellow Saudi stars Al Shamsi, Ashraf and Mohammed Abbas.
10. Mohammed Abbas / @abas.iiii
The Saudi filmmaker and actor might be last on this list, with 2.9m followers, but he has almost 70m likes.
He posts about five times a week and gets just under half a million views per video.
His videos, a medley of scenes and acting snippets, are well made and of high quality. There are, of course, a few simple dance posts thrown in for good measure.
Abbas reportedly benefited from the platform's Creator Academy, which led to him becoming the face of Rotana's TikTok Ramadan show Who Said?.
Abbas also has a hugely successful YouTube channel, with nearly seven million views, which he has had for almost 12 years.
We won't be surprised to see him soar up this list in no time.
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Scoreline
Bournemouth 2
Wilson 70', Ibe 74'
Arsenal 1
Bellerin 52'
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
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The years Ramadan fell in May
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
THE%20FLASH
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
More on animal trafficking
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
