Ramadan goes online: Your guide to what’s showing on YouTube

“Hurry! It’s about to start!” Those are words we haven’t heard in a while. Gone are the days of waiting until 8 o’clock on the dot to watch the latest episode of our favourite Ramadan TV show. Arab content creators on YouTube have been gaining an incredible amount of momentum, and this Ramadan, they have gotten creative — whether it’s by uploading scripted comedy series and sketches, putting together online cooking segments or sharing daily vlogs. We break down where you can watch what this Ramadan, including your traditional TV shows and new-age YouTube content.

Anasala Family - Ramadan in the West vlogs: Young married couple Anas, 28, and Asala, 23, live in Canada with their three-year-old daughter, Mila. This year, they decided to vlog about their day-to-day adventures as they celebrate Ramadan, while social distancing in the West — including everything from inviting the in-laws over for Iftar, to building their own home mosque. The couple who go by the portmanteau ‘Anasala’ have more than five million subscribers on YouTube.

Basel Al Haj - Ramadan Hotel: He’s a globe-trotting foodie in the middle of quarantine during the month of Ramadan — so what does Basel Al Haj do? He quarantines with four other friends in a 25-bedroom hotel, all to themselves, and cooks his way through Ramadan with things like cheese steak sandwiches and fried up salmon. As the affable host says in the first episode, “Because of quarantine, this is going to be the strangest Ramadan we ever experience — but we are going to get through it happy, and with a smile.”

Hadeel Marei - Home quarantine: Egyptian content creator Hadeel Marei has kicked off a new quarantine comedy series on her channel, titled ‘quarantine, but not my home,’ playing on the words ‘home quarantine’, featuring best friend and fellow Dubai-based creator Maha Jaafar — aka Maha AJ. 

Amr Wahba: Egyptian comedian and actor Amr Wahba uploads Arabic sketches on his YouTube channel under the category of #StayHome, including a recent bit on the hypocrisy of parents watching Ramez Galal’s controversial prank show.

Boody and Zozo (Season 2): Have you heard of The Saudi Reporters? Saudi Arabian twin brothers Abdullah Bakr and Abdulaziz Bakr, 26, have a huge following online, with more than six million subscribers on YouTube. On April 29, they returned with the second season of their show ‘Boody and Zozo’, where the two brothers attempt to escape from the animated fantasy world they were transported into in season one.

Ayat Tharwat: While Egyptian blogger Aya Tharwat’s main platform for sharing her recipes is Instagram, she has also begun uploading them to her YouTube channel. Wherever you watch them, get ready for some intense cravings. Tharwat posts easy to follow, delectable recipes that will come in handy this Ramadan.