Tubular Labs Ranks Saudi Arabia’s Most Influential Females on YouTube

Online video intelligence company Tubular Labs released on Monday a report ranking the most influential female YouTube creators in Saudi Arabia in the last 90 days, placing 21-year-old Saudi lifestyle creator Njoud Al Shammari at the top of the list with more than 800 thousand subscribers. Lifestyle and beauty vlogger Asrar Aref came in second, followed by Amal Elmziryahi, Hessa Al Awad, and Juhara Al Sajer.

The top five names on the list scored the highest on the Tubular Influencer Score (TIS), which takes into account 10 different metrics when generating the rankings such as: the creator’s reach, engagement with viewers and subscribers, and the channel’s activity. The report comes as female-content on YouTube continues to grow as total number of hours spent watching female-related videos grew by 50% last year (2014 - 2015) in the Middle East and North Africa. In Saudi Arabia, total watchtime on YouTube grew by 50% between 2014 and 2015. Saudi Arabia also has the highest watch time per capita globally.

Denis Crushell, VP at Tubular Labs said "Online video is more global than ever before, with creators around the world making content that resonates with their audiences. These top female Saudi creators deliver content that engages their audience, providing both entertainment value and inspiration. Collectively their content has drawn more than 184 Million views all time with an Engagement Rating (ER 30) that is 5x more engaging than average video.”

“I am happy to see these women’s hard work recognized by hard data. Each of these creators continue to make high-quality content that is not only useful but is also an expression of their creativity. They are telling their own stories to their audience and the world, and will continue to utilize YouTube’s reach to more than one billion daily users to grow their channels” Head of YouTube Partnerships in the Middle East and North Africa Diana Baddar commented about the report.

In October, YouTube launched Batala, a dedicated channel which features the region’s top female creators, featuring more than 100 women from across the Middle East and North Africa. All five channels in the Tubular Labs list are on Batala.

About the YouTube creators:

Njoud Al Shammari is a 21-year old Saudi lifestyle and comedy vlogger and has been on YouTube for little more than a year. Her videos range from comedy and tips to fun tutorials. She often features her brother on her channel who is also a widely-followed YouTuber.

Subscribers as of November: 890,000

Views as of November: 52 million

Asrar Arif has been on YouTube since 2012. Her channel has a wide variety of content, with videos about travel and beauty tips, to challenges and recipe videos. Despite having never shown her face on camera, Asrar’s YouTube subscribers continues to grow. Asrar is from Saudi Arabia.

Subscribers as of November: 505,000

Views as of November: 44 million

Amal Elmziryahi is a Moroccan creator and the first non-Saudi on the list. Amal’s channel is a collection of recipes with a focus on Middle Eastern and Western dessert with some savory recipes as well. Her most popular video is from 2013 in which she teaches her viewers how to make crepes!

Subscribers as of November: 255,000

Views as of November: 45 million

Hessa Al Awad is a 24-year old Saudi beauty creator and an avid fan of Japanese pop culture. Her videos range from hair tutorials to personal hygiene tips. Hessa produces, shoots, and edits all of her videos in her house. She is the second creator on the list who has never revealed her face, which hasn’t stopped her growth on YouTube.

Subscribers as of November: 469,000

Views as of November: 60 million

Al Juhara Sajer started her YouTube channel in 2012. Juhara’s videos range from travel vlogs, to fun challenges featuring different members of her family, to self-improvement talks. Juhara is 25 and from Saudi.

Subscribers as of November: 423,000

Views as of November: 48 million