Both have gained large amounts of money from people who either need, or want to get rid of, spells and the so-called "evil eye". But while this whole area of activity may be as old as the hills, it has no qualms about embracing modern technology.

The paranoia surrounding these spells and the “evil eye” has led to an increasing number of people promoting their services on the Internet. The space available for people hoping to exchange information about either magicians or sheikhs is also growing, despite frequent warnings or even attacks against them. Some sheikhs have created their own websites, with sections giving a brief introduction into the world of jinns and displaying their success stories. These include accounts about helping people recover from magical negative powers, from diseases or the effect of evil eye, or helping couples conceive a baby after years of waiting.

Magicians are always warned against and attacked. They claim they can help people get married or gain more profit or better positions. It is claimed that most are from outside the Kingdom, mainly Africa, although there is no hard evidence for that. Similarly, it is said that the sheikhs who are fighting the evil eye and magicians are based within the Kingdom, although not all are necessarily Saudis.

Moneer Arab runs one such website, which has between 150 and 180 hits a day. Arab claims to have over 20 years of experience in helping victims of black magic and the "evil eye". Stories on his website include that of a maid who used black magic against her sponsor, which resulted in reversing the role of the mother and the maid. Another is that of a mother whose relations with her daughters were supposedly affected by spells involving a dead cat. The animal had been cut into half and placed in a plastic bag at her house. A strange case Moneer Arab claims he resolved involved a girl who cried stones instead of tears. Arab claims on his website that he managed to help 250 cases involving children living in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

Khalid Al-Hibshi is another sheikh who cures victims by reciting the Qur'an. On his website he attacks different groups who he believes are harming sheikhs like him. These groups consist of disbelievers, whether non-Muslims or Muslims, including neurologists, fake sheikhs and magicians as well as sheikhs who demand thousands of Saudi riyals to cure people. Al-Hibshi’s website also describes several cases that he treated.

Some practitioners use the Internet only to advertise their contact numbers. An old-fashioned telephone call still remains necessary, or even a visit.

Internet forums, especially those for women, are full of names and phone numbers for sheikhs. Only a few members suggested that people should depend on themselves when reading the Qur'an and do not need to look for others’ help. In most forums, visitors exchange and suggest particular names. Interestingly, only two "women sheikhs" were widely promoted. However, they did not pick up their phones when Arab News tried to contact them. As a matter of fact, all the sheikhs the team called had dua — or Islamic supplication — holding tones.

A sheikh in southern Jeddah who was suggested in a number of forums did not pick up his phone. Instead, a worker, not fluent in Arabic, picked up and told the reporter that visitors had to come at 4 p.m. sharp to be able to get their name on the list before it becomes full. The worker said that the charge for seeing the sheikh was only SR150, and that any additional treatment costs would be determined by the sheikh later on. When asked if it was necessary to be accompanied by a legal male guardian, the worker answered, “No, but preferably you should come with another woman: a mother or a sister.”

Arab News visited another well-known sheikh living in eastern Jeddah. This healer has turned the parking area of a modern building into a semi-clinic. On the day we came, people were clustering from 7 a.m. in two rooms, one for women and another for men. The place included two bathrooms and a desk where two Arab workers were arranging visitors and taking orders.

After taking a number, the worker said that it would take hours before we could see the sheikh. This was not an exaggeration. Five hours later, the sheikh was finally available. After explaining that we had postpartum depression, the sheikh diagnosed us with a strong, old evil eye that reactivates itself with each illness. To cure this, he handed over a bit of yellowish water and some herbs. He said the water had to be mixed with 22 liters of ordinary water, and a glass of it should be taken each morning and evening. The herb, on the other hand, had to be taken before lunch. He said the treatment had to be carried out for 50 days. We were advised to text the sheikh if the treatment proved unhelpful after this time in order to be treated again.

The sheikhs who heal by performing Qur'an readings usually do this in front of the people who visit them. Alternatively, they give the victims holy water over which they claim to have read the Qur'an or provide them with herbs. “Some of them work with psychiatrists,” says Abdul Rahman Asiri, another sheikh. “Personally, I transfer some cases to psychiatrists after I make sure they do not suffer from evil eye or any magical influence.”

The sheikhs who run these centers do not obtain authorization from any government department. “However, their work is supervised by the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice,” says Awad Al-Asmari, spokesman for the commission in Asir region. “The minister of interior allows sheikhs to work without permission as long as they adhere to Islamic principles.” According to him, they conduct field inspections to check if the sheikhs are reading verses from the Qur'an and not anything else. “We feed back to the higher Central Committee, which consists of members from the Governorate, the police, the Criminal Investigation Department, and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs,” explains Al-Asmari.

When asked about the personal websites, he said: “Information and media resources including press, TV channels, and the Internet are the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture and Information. We have nothing to do with it. The exact number of sheikhs is not known because of the increasing number of volunteers.”