Here’s something to think about: We couldn’t have made it to 2021 without our phones and having great content to keep us company. You know, those toilet paper hoarding memes that made you laugh so hard that you cried, or that touching video of grandparents hugging their grandkids through hung up sheets of cling film during the height of lockdown measures.
Personally, I discovered that spending hours browsing Abaih World’s content on Instagram was necessary for my mental well-being. From reporting on local reactions to the pandemic, addressing key societal issues in a comic manner, and a very special lockdown episode that had me kneeling over from laughter at a time when my anxiety was peaking, Abaih World is carving out a platform that is entirely different from the mainstream. And it’s so refreshing.
While Abaih’s founders and collaborative members brand themselves as a band of misfits, they surely do understand the importance of the saying ‘content is king’. Build it, and they will come. For the creative founders Manayer AlShami, Mohammad Alsaeed and Fai AlOmran, Abaih World first began as a kitsch podcast hosting different people, with episodes being aired out of a van (yup, you read that right!), with the aim of exchanging ideas and opinions.
It was merely a plus that the van’s walls served as a canvas for them to express their artistic inclinations. Manayer says, “The van was the foundation of our safe space. We redesigned the walls maybe three or four times. With every season we did, we needed a reset and a space to creatively play outside of our day-to-day jobs.”
From societal taboos, to random musings on different topics, Abaih World’s podcast organically grew a small but super loyal cult following. A real community was brewing, one that is hungry for good conversation and meaningful discourse. “A lot of people connected with our ideas,” Mohammad adds, “We’re not building a new community here, we just created a bigger space for like-minded people to connect.”
At the core, Abaih arrives as a safe space that allows for a difference of opinion, but most importantly, promotes tolerance. Mohammad continues, “We know that we don’t necessarily represent a majority in Kuwait, and that’s okay. But we do know that we need to think like a tribe, and that if we think as a collective, we have to create a space that represents everyone in our community.”
Abaih harks to a universal feeling; we all want to belong but find that especially hard when we don’t fit into what we see being promoted on street billboards, airbrushed magazine spreads and picture-perfect Instagram feeds.
I asked Mohammad and Manayer about why the word ‘Abaih’ was collectively chosen for their platform. The local term is used as an expression of shock, awe, admiration, anger, it’s really a go-to for whenever you’re feeling befuddled by an idea or something that happened. “We generally don’t know what we’re doing in life except for dealing with the day-to-day,” says Mohammad, “It’s so fitting! I always ask myself: Abaih?! What am I doing?”
Before Abaih evolved from a podcast format to a fully-fledged media outlet with various content series, videos, and even dabbling with their merch own offering, the team members were excelling in their respective careers. The pandemic, however, gave them the gift of time to truly creatively explore the Abaih’s potential. Manayer adds, “Before Corona, our jobs were extremely high strung, meaning that we were online 24/7, so we would just meet up on the weekend and try to edit an [Abaih] episode quickly to put it out there. With the pandemic, working on our content gave us life.”
Deciding on a format that highlights the positive and puts entertainment at the forefront, the team understood the value of having a human element, and that’s when the Abaih team started working on web series episodes that satisfied their audience’s hunger for different content.
Tapping into their followers’ response, they quickly grew the Abaih family to host speakers like the incredible comedian Shaikha AlKhaldi and Liane AlGhusain. Shaikha’s hilarious show, expressively titled ‘Ifft’ (the ultimate sound of disdain one could elicit in Kuwait) is a joy to watch, as Shaikha’s sharp wit brings to light issues likes local refusal to abide by health protocols to patriarchal views on women’s sports in Kuwait.
Shaikha writes the episodes for the show, and Aysha AlKhaldi is the main content editor. Liane’s ‘The Review’ cleverly unboxes notions of living with intent and slow fashion. These content series, along with Abaih’s regular programming on everything from panic buying, pollution to racism really raised the bar.
“That was when we saw the shift happen from podcast to a platform that brings voices from the local community front and center,” Manayer says, “We function on the premise of ‘let’s talk together and see what we can come up with, let’s find a space for your voice to be heard.’” Today, speakers like Shaikha and Liane are partners of the show, as would anyone else who happens to be interested in sharing their views.
Manayer stresses how “They own their show as much as we do. And that’s something we wanted from the start of Abaih, and believe to be essential for the longevity of the show as well as our transparency. Kuwait has lots of creative minds that tend to be absorbed by mainstream media outlets without giving them credit where it is due. And that’s how we felt about the media industry as well.”
From a portable van to a fully-equipped studio, the Abaih team works on various content creation projects for their platform and other clients, they are fully driven to take the concept forward. They’re only getting started, and while they understand that a lot of the content that they put out might come across as experimental, they are fully aware of how their brand can utilize different mediums to create something entirely different.
Abaih World’s strength lies in the platform’s collaborative nature, and they’re not afraid to explore its potential. Between Manayer AlShami, Fai AlOmran, Mohammad Alsaeed, Aziz Alnasrallah, Shaikha AlKhaldi, Aysha AlKhaldi, Liane AlGhusain and all Abaih collaborators, we’re in for an action packed 2021, and we absolutely cannot wait.
To really give our readers a sense of what Abaih World is all about, they’ve decided to answer our truth or questionnaire starring Abaih as the main character. We promise you won’t be disappointed with their answers!
TRUTH OR DARE QUESTIONNAIRE
How would your mother describe you in one word?
Katkoot.
How would you describe your mother in one word?
Stage mom.
What is the most ridiculous question you’ve ever been asked?
Where are you from?
What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
Being born in a van.
What is your theme song?
Alasmaraniya.
What word in the English or Arabic language do you wish you had invented?
بلاليط
Where would you like to live?
In Mama Aneesa’s front pocket.
What is your dream retirement location?
Teletubbyland.
What is the first famous quote that comes to your mind?
اللي ما يطول العنب أبيه! عنه يقول !
Which animal best describes your perfect partner, be it in business, or in life?
Jarboo3 almutla3.
Do you miss anything from your childhood and if so, what is it?
My baby weight.
If you could change your name, to what would you change it?
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiii.
How would you describe your handshake, in one word?
Sticky.
What is the toughest part of your character?
My multiple personalities.
Who is your favorite historical figure?
Um 3leiwi “Abdulaziz AlNemash”.
What in the world do you least desire?
Living in a box.
What do you think is lacking in the world, which [if there were more of it] would make the world a better place?
Naturally flavored skittles.
Why do you think most people who do, like you?
Because I’m fluffy.
Finish this sentence: “Happiness is…”
Sharing KDD chocolate milk with pandas.
For more information about Abaih World, head to @abaih.world on Instagram or visit www.abaih.world.
