People are always asking me for websites that can help them learn more about Saudi Arabia. For better or worse, YouTube is one online destination that is providing insights into what goes on behind closed doors in the Kingdom. Many expatriates only see Saudis at work or at shopping malls. They haven’t a clue what Saudis do the rest of the time — unless they’ve checked out YouTube.
If you are unfamiliar with it, YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. Unregistered users at www.youtube.com can watch most videos on the site, while registered users are permitted to upload an unlimited number of videos. Some videos are available only to users aged 18 or older e.g. videos containing potentially offensive content, although pornography is not allowed on the site.
Typing “Saudi Arabia” into the search at YouTube brings up 5,700 entries. That sounds like a lot, but as a comparison, “Paris Hilton,” brings up 59,700 entries. The videos that are posted range from the very interesting to the extremely weird. One video titled, “Saudi Wife Shows Us into her Home,” should not be missed by anyone curious about how conservative middle class Saudis live behind the high walls surrounding their villas. There are loads of videos of young Saudi drivers behaving badly on the Kingdom’s roads. Saudi music groups, historical sites and folklore are available for all to see at YouTube.
At the site there are also negative images of the Kingdom for download. Many of these include material focused on sex, drugs and intolerance. It should be noted though that the titles can be misleading. A video that purports to show a Saudi girl undressing, actually allows the viewer to see nothing risque since YouTube bans pornography. The provenance of some of the nastier videos is questionable. For example, the girl in the “stripping” video is supposed to be a Saudi, but the exact same video can be found in another entry with a tag stating that the girl is Turkish.
The quality of the most lascivious videos is often poor. This is an indication that most likely individuals using cell phones set in video mode are responsible for shooting and posting intimate, personal moments possibly without the knowledge of those featured in the video clips. Some of the videos are from Bluetooth cell phone sends. So be careful what you share with friends.
The Kingdom’s Internet watchdog has blocked access from the Saudi network to any YouTube video that requires the viewer to be 18 or older due to the offensive content in the video. However, they can’t block viewers around the world from access. This makes their actions not only lame but potentially hurtful since Saudi women could be exposed online but be unaware of it — since they can’t access the images from the Kingdom.