LONDON: YouTube has announced the release of a special program of its flagship video and podcast series in MENA, Hekayat YouTube, Play it Forward with YouTube in English, focusing on Saudi youth.

The five-episode series aims to establish a platform for conversation between influential Saudi YouTube creators, public figures and decision-makers, addressing topics concerning young people in Saudi Arabia.

“YouTube is a reflection of what’s top of mind for Saudi youth thanks to our vibrant creator community in the Kingdom” said Tarek Amin, YouTube’s director in MENA.

“They’ve built communities around topics that matter to them and their audience. This is why we decided to use Hekayat YouTube as a platform for our creators to engage with decision-makers on these topics and to help them share their experiences with the world,” he said.

The season will feature a range of Saudi creators from fields such as lifestyle, health, technology and investment, including Beeko, Faisal Alsaif, Sukkari Life, and Faris Alturki.

Together with guests from both the public and private sectors in the Kingdom such as Raied Aljadaany of the  Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence, Noura Alyusuf of the the Quality of Life Program, Kaswara Al-Khatib from the creator economy sector, and Haya Sawan from the sports industry, the program will seek to tackle topics such as the future of jobs and artificial intelligence, wellbeing and quality of life, the creator economy, and sports.

The series will be available from Jan. 31, with new episodes released every week accessible on YouTube Arabia, the channels of the creators involved, as well as platforms such as Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Anghami, and Deezer.