RIYADH: A well-known YouTuber in Saudi Arabia described the magical recipe that allowed the videos of the young rapper Abdul Aziz Rabih Al-Dulaijan, known as “Dyler” to reach 220 million views on his YouTube channel in a period of 11 months, a “smart” investment by the followers who are children and love the repetition of the same verses.
Dyler’s close YouTuber friend, who refused to disclose his name for personal reasons, said that 16-year-old Dyler, who created his YouTube channel less than a year ago in Riyadh, has achieved his great success according to a pre-studied plan, describing the YouTube revolution happening today as a virus that suddenly spreads and is hard to deal with.
His friend told Arab News that Dyler and other YouTubers are getting millions of views because their videos include repetition, which amazes children.
Dyler’s song “Madrasa” (school) alone had 10 million views in the first 10 days. His friend said that despite the poor quality of the picture and content, the song is a big success, due to its harmonization which appeals to kids between four and 17 years old.
He described Dyler’s choice of songs about school and allowance a “smart” one as it interests a wide section of teenagers and kids.
A modern media professor at Umm Al-Qura University, Ousama Madani, told Arab News that YouTube is one of the world’s most widespread and most common social media platforms as it allows people to react to videos, share their ideas and showcase their talents. During the past five years, YouTubers have become more popular in the Arab world, he added. “One of the reasons behind Dyler and other YouTubers’ successes is the great support provided by advertising agencies directly without an intermediary company like Google AdSense,” he added.
Saudi YouTubers have achieved greater success than other Arabs on the platform because the Saudi experience is a unique one that provides a greater diversity of content (entertainment, social, political), said Madani.
He added that a phenomenon like Dyler performing rap usually creates controversy on social media until a new phenomenon appears and spreads among youths.
Decoding Dyler: Saudi YouTube sensation raps his way to success
Decoding Dyler: Saudi YouTube sensation raps his way to success
Cambodia takes back looted historic artifacts handled by British art dealer
- The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian officials on Friday received more than six dozen historic artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage that had been looted during decades of war and instability.
At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, the 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after their repatriation from the United Kingdom.
The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia.
“This substantial restitution represents one of the most important returns of Khmer cultural heritage in recent years, following major repatriations in 2021 and 2023 from the same collection,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement. “It marks a significant step forward in Cambodia’s continued efforts to recover, preserve, and restore its ancestral legacy for future generations.”
The artifacts were described as dating from the pre-Angkorian period through the height of the Angkor Empire, including “monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant ritual objects.” The Angkor Empire, which extended from the ninth to the 15th century, is best known for the Angkor Wat archaeological site, the nation’s biggest tourist attraction.
Latchford was a prominent antiquities dealer who allegedly orchestrated an operation to sell looted Cambodian sculptures on the international market.
From 1970 to the 1980s, during Cambodia’s civil wars and the communist Khmer Rouge ‘s brutal reign, organized looting networks sent artifacts to Latchford, who then sold them to Western collectors, dealers, and institutions. These pieces were often physically damaged, having been pried off temple walls or other structures by the looters.
Latchford was indicted in a New York federal court in 2019 on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy. He died in 2020, aged 88, before he could be extradited to face charges.
Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, has benefited from a trend in recent decades involving the repatriation of art and archaeological treasures. These include ancient Asian artworks as well as pieces lost or stolen during turmoil in places such as Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the prominent institutions that has been returning illegally smuggled art, including to Cambodia.
“The ancient artifacts created and preserved by our ancestors are now being returned to Cambodia, bringing warmth and joy, following the country’s return to peace,” said Hun Many, who is the younger brother of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
