With the rise of video platforms over the past decade, YouTube is no longer just a platform for amateurs; it has become a true gateway to the world of traditional media. A number of Arab content creators have successfully transformed their digital fame into opportunities in television and film, leveraging their large online followings.
Ahmed El-Ghandour
Ahmed El-Ghandour is one of the most prominent examples of this transformation. His fame began with the YouTube program “El-Daheeh” in 2014, through which he presented simplified scientific content in a comedic style.
The program’s immense success led television channels and digital platforms to adopt it later. “El-Daheeh” moved for a period to Al Jazeera Plus before returning with larger productions. This experience confirmed that digital content creators can compete with traditional television programs in both presentation and content.
Ahmed Amin
The artist Ahmed Amin launched “30 Seconds” videos on YouTube in 2015, a series of short satirical videos that were the main reason for his widespread fame before he moved on to present the program “El-Plateau.” He then entered the world of art through several famous series and films such as “The Will,” “Paranormal,” and “The Text.”
Ahmed Salama
He is a content creator and presenter of the program “Just Like the Book Says.” He worked in voice-over for several Egyptian television channels and achieved great success on his YouTube channel due to the engaging topics he presents, especially political ones.
With his considerable success, his program moved to ON TV in 2022. However, he maintained his digital presence by publishing episodes and continuously interacting with his audience through his official Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Amr Nasouhy
A popular Egyptian sports content creator and YouTuber, he is considered one of the most prominent figures in the world of football analysis on social media platforms in the Arab world. He is famous for presenting the program “Sabaho Kora” on his channel, where he provides technical analyses of international and Arab matches in a spontaneous and detailed style.
Thanks to his immense popularity, he presented the “Capitano Egypt” program in 2023 and recently appeared as an analyst on Qatar’s Al Kass channels.
Anwar Jibawi
A Palestinian-American YouTuber born in 1991, he began his career on Vine with short comedy videos before moving to YouTube in 2016, where he amassed over 15 million subscribers.
He made a successful transition to film, appearing in the 2019 movie Airplane Mode and the 2023 film Family Switch. He has also collaborated with international stars like Mike Tyson, making him a prime example of how digital fame can be leveraged to reach the big screen.
Ahmed Afifi
Ahmed Afifi’s journey from YouTube to television is one of the most successful examples of digital “star-making” in sports media.
Afifi, an engineering graduate, started by creating videos on his channel, “Al Kora Mesh Ma’a Afifi” (Football Isn’t With Afifi). He was distinguished by his “whiteboard” analysis style, which dissected the performance of players and coaches in a simplified, scientific manner, attracting a huge audience tired of superficial analysis.
His first official step in television was with DMC Sports, after which he worked for Pyramids TV and Zamalek TV, and later for SSC and Thamaniyah Saudi Arabia.
