JEDDAH — Kharabeesh KSA, the Arab world’s leading multi-channel network, and Alf Khair, a Riyadh-based social enterprise, announced a partnership to create social media content for the Kingdom’s ambitious generation of Saudi youth.

“It’s no secret that Saudi Arabia has the highest social media usage in the world,” said Abeer Al Fouti, Chief Operating Officer of Alf Khair. “Our goal is to create content that informs, engages and inspires young people and unlocks the true potential of the kingdom’s young and growing population.”

The MENA region as a whole is experiencing explosive growth in usage of online media. Daily viewership in the region has doubled in the last 2 years to 167 million, with over 90 million views coming from Saudi Arabia alone.

“Young people are driving a phenomenal disruption in Arab media,” said Robert Knežević, Kharabeesh board member. “They are not only driving viewership, they are also the creators and producers of much of online content. Our partnership with Alf Khair will enable us to create entertainment to suit tastes and preferences for Saudi society and culture.”

“Business, government and civil society are increasingly finding creative new ways to improve communities and affect social change,” said Feras Al Maddah, Managing Director of Kharabeesh KSA. “Digital media is incredibly influential in our society. Creating content that speaks to the ambitions of our young people will be our priority.”

Working in line with Vision 2030 in developing the country’s greatest asset as Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, said: «Our country is rich in its natural resources. We are not dependent solely on oil for our energy needs. Gold, phosphate, uranium, and many other valuable minerals are found beneath our lands. But our real wealth lies in the ambition of our people and the potential of our younger generation. They are our nation’s pride and the architects of our future.» The partnership will focus on developing media content that promotes creativity, talent and opportunity with specific projects focusing on women in the workforce, entrepreneurship and healthy lifestyles.

Alf Khair is a social enterprise founded by Princess Reema Bint Bandar Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz in 2013. Alf Khair’s mission is to provide access to opportunities. Their vision is to be a center of excellence for the personal and professional development of individuals, to enable them to be productive, engaged, competent and integrated members of their communities. They do so through their initiatives; 10KSA, Alf Darb, Create and soon to be launched Alf Hewar.

Kharabeesh started 2008 by a group of young Arab content creators. The company grew to become the first YouTube certified Multi Channel Network in MENA region and expanded into a company with over 90 channels, lifetime views exceeding 2 billion, and 70 million monthly viewers. In addition to offices in Riyadh and Jeddah, it maintains a creative and sales force in Dubai and Amman. — SG