LONDON: Egyptian YouTuber Ahmed AbouZaid, whose channel is known for its educational content, has been detained by authorities on accusations of illegal currency trading.
AbouZaid, whose popular YouTube channel Droos Online has 8.65 million subscribers, was arrested last week at his home in the Gharbia Governorate after withdrawing a large sum of cash from his personal bank account, according to sources close to the matter.
The arrest came just days after he was shortlisted for an award at the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai.
Egyptian authorities initially detained AbouZaid for four days pending an investigation.
After an appeal by his defense team, his detention was extended for another 15 days.
On Jan. 13, a court confirmed the detention and referred him to the criminal court for trial.
A source close to AbouZaid accused Egyptian authorities of fabricating the charges, claiming that his withdrawal of a significant amount of money was used as a pretext for the arrest.
“YouTube revenues are the main source of income for Ahmed,” the source said, adding that all financial transactions were conducted through Egyptian banks.
AbouZaid, who previously worked as a “civil engineer dodging scorpions in the Arabian desert,” became a full-time YouTuber in 2017 after realizing he was earning more from his online platform than from his day job.
He creates educational content, including simplified English language courses, life management advice, and tips for achieving practical success, making him one of the most followed content creators in Egypt.
