Yemeni Content Creators Heading towards Social Media Platforms

Sawt Al-Amal (Voice of Hope) – Yasmine Abdulhafeez

Many talented individuals in various fields have turned to social media as a means to showcase their work and reach a wider audience. The increasing interest in social media among Yemeni content creators in recent years is attributed to the media’s preoccupation with covering the conflict, leaving little space for other content.

This shift has provided Yemeni content creators with the opportunity to express their talents, share their creativity, and produce inspiring stories and programs, as well as to discover and showcase the talents of many Yemenis.

One such creative is Nada Mu’min, who has utilized social media platforms to exhibit her work in wedding photography through photos and videos, particularly on WhatsApp and Facebook. Her posts have garnered a large following and admiration for her creative work in event photography.

Nada has become a respected wedding photographer, with many followers appreciating her documentation of various events. Similarly, numerous young individuals interested in this field have successfully utilized various social media platforms to expand their reach, enhance engagement, and secure coverage for events and occasions.

Top Content Creators

Many creative young Yemenis have carved out spaces for themselves on various applications, producing works that reflect their creative abilities. Through social media, they have gained recognition from media institutions and have become well-known figures in television, as writers, presenters, actors, directors, and in other fields required by diverse media outlets.

Both male and female content creators in Yemen have emerged as prominent figures on social media, presenting works across social, humanitarian, artistic, and other domains, amassing audiences comparable to those of television celebrities and other media personalities.

This is what journalist Salah Al-Gundi, the host of a program broadcast on the Yemeni Expatriate in America channel on YouTube, confirmed stating that various social media platforms have contributed to creating significant opportunities for content creators from Yemen. They have become influential opinion leaders and gained fame, especially on YouTube.

Al-Gundi attributed this to technological advancements that have made it easier for people to access social media platforms, leading many to turn away from traditional TV channels and other media outlets.

He mentioned that many content creators have achieved substantial profits and gained popularity within the Yemeni and international communities, prompting numerous creators to establish social media accounts.

There are numerous content creators in Yemen who have achieved great fame, such as Muhammad N’uman, Hasan Al-Gifri, Muhammad Al-Shishan, Fawwaz Al-Ta’kari, Ahmad Al-Gaishi, Saddam Al-I’zzi, Husam Al-Salawi, Muhib Abdu, Zakaria Yaslam, Hashim Al-Ghaili, Abdul-Latif Al-Zaila’i, Manal Al-Shaibani, Amira Al-Humaidi, Arwa Abdul-Karim, Shaima Munassar Muharram and many others.

The Purpose of Utilizing These Means

He added that social media serves as a gateway for both beginner and professional content creators to reach their target audience without intermediaries (newspapers, radio, TV broadcast channels), often without financial costs. He emphasized the important role of social media in delivering content to the target audience and providing statistics on audience interaction with videos and posts to understand their interests.

Furthermore, he mentioned that social media also offers guidance, training, and suggests topics for content development.

On her part, Al-Khansa Yahya, a digital content creator who discusses social and developmental issues in a satirical comedic manner in the local dialect, states that there are various purposes of using social media by content creators like gaining interaction, increasing the number of followers, and marketing.

She adds, “Conveying a message or issues for discussion to the widest possible audience and getting interaction, as well as helping to spread your content widely, can lead to job opportunities, as your work is followed by institutions interested in this content.” She sees the importance of social media in supporting content creators as it provides opportunities for learning on a broader and faster scale with multiple options.

Challenges & Solutions

He explains, “Some have to rent these tools from specialized shops, and many content creators struggle to pay the rental fees, in addition to the difficulty of obtaining permits, whether from authorities or from the citizens themselves, especially if the content creator is new or a beginner.”

Al-Gifri believes that the financial weakness of many content creators is one of the most important challenges for those who struggle to cover all the filming costs, especially with the absence of supporters.

On the other hand, Usama Adil, a podcaster, states that weak internet access makes it difficult to reach a larger audience, in addition to the lack of technical aspects and the absence of a large market for content creators. These are among the most important challenges they face. “The challenges facing Yemeni content creators are numerous, including the inability to reach our work outside Yemen, and if our work spreads, it does not reach a sufficient number of people. The problem is the restriction of Yemeni content within Yemen only, and there are many examples such as the banning of some applications, as well as the difficulty of linking accounts to Google’s advertising program,” said Muhib Abdu, the first-string artist in Yemen and the Middle East.

He emphasizes, “I believe that the effort we (Yemenis) put into content creation, if it were in another country, every Yemeni would be a content creator, and among the best and strongest content creators in the world.”

In his interview with Sawt Al-Amal newspaper, he adds that there are many solutions, including the need for the country’s youth working in content creation to continue, and most importantly, to have noble goals that serve the community, rather than seeking fame and money.

He believes that social media for content creators, specifically Yemenis, is important for increasing personal recognition, allowing others to discover their talents, and facilitating the expression of their various creative endeavors.

He also discusses the financial benefits for content creators in Yemen, stating that these are mainly achieved through YouTube, which is a very challenging platform requiring significant effort to realize financial gain.

Khalid Al-Yousufi, a media professional, filmmaker, and visual content creator, emphasizes the challenges faced by content creators in Yemen, such as slow internet, production difficulties due to restrictions on filming and social media bans, and changing audience interests and preferences.

He suggests possible solutions to address these challenges, such as improving internet speed, reducing subscription costs, increasing data capacity, and facilitating the filming process according to specific guidelines.

Meanwhile, Zakaria Yaslam Al-Himyari highlights the significant challenges faced by content creators in Yemen, including societal norms and traditions that view appearing on screens as a pursuit of fake fame. Additionally, content creators may face strong opposition and defamation campaigns due to differing opinions, orientations, and ways of thinking.

The Presented Content

The presented content in social media in Yemen covers various aspects, focusing on social, economic, developmental, educational, cultural, and artistic issues. Many programs on social media platforms address these issues and convey a noble message and goals aimed at serving their community through discussion. Most of these programs convey the suffering of Yemenis and depict the harsh reality experienced by many individuals and families, seeking support from those who are willing to help these families affected by poverty, illness, or conflict. There are also satirical programs that humorously discuss social issues, as well as others that highlight creativity and talent in various aspects.

She adds, “Digital content has become one of the most powerful tools that can be relied upon in many of our endeavors, whether in media or marketing, especially as the world is increasingly moving towards modernity (renewing or updating what is old, whether in the cultural, intellectual, historical, or other fields).” She believes that content creation is an emerging field in Yemen, in the stage of growth and development, and observes that the audience is increasingly inclined towards digital content.

She continues, “This is what will help us – as content creators – in attempting innovation and will open up new horizons for presenting our ideas despite the difficulties we face, such as internet outages, weak communication networks, and the lack of encouragement and support from any relevant entities. This poses a very significant challenge for any content creator, as they find themselves in an unsupportive or unequal environment compared to what they are trying to achieve.”