Abdullah Muhammad Al-Saleh

Abdullah Muhammad Al-Saleh (Arabic: عبدالله محمد عبدالله الصالح) is a Kuwaiti YouTuber and self-proclaimed activist. He currently resides in London as a political refugee, due to threats of imprisonment in Kuwait in response to his criticism of Gulf states such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman.

Abdullah Muhammad Al-Saleh عبدالله محمد عبدالله الصالح
Born	(1985-05-08) May 8, 1985 (age 40) Kuwait City
Nationality	Kuwaiti
Education	Kuwait University (Bsc Businesses Administration and Marketing) London South Bank University (Msc, PhD Economic Development)
Occupation	YouTuber

Education

Al-Saleh studied at Kuwait English School from 1988 to 2001 and graduated IGCSE. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing at the College of Business Administration in Kuwait University from 2001 to 2005 and a master's degree in development studies at London South Bank University from 2009 to 2010. He earned a PhD in economic development^[1] at London South Bank University from 2011 to 2015.^[2]

Career

Al-Saleh started his career as a marketing officer at Al Imtiaz Investment group in 2005, he then worked as a marketing and VIP clients officer at ADEEM Investment and Wealth Management Company in 2007. He then also worked as a VIP clients manager Al Najat Society from 2007 to 2009.^[3]

He also worked as a journalist for several magazines and newspapers in Kuwait, including Al Anba, Al Watan, and Al Jarida.^[4] Al-Saleh runs a YouTube channel^[5] that is themed around politics and the exposing of corruption in the Gulf states.^[4]

Al-Saleh has been interviewed by various media TV channels and newspapers including BBC Arabic, Alarabiya and AlJazeera.^[6] He was a member of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students [ar] from 2004 to 2005.

Refugee status

Al-Saleh received a prison sentence for criticizing the leaders and governments of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman.^[7][8] He fled to the UK and sought asylum in December 2017, a request that Amnesty International supported.^[9] By March 18, 2020, he was officially recognized as a political refugee.^[10][11] The US Department of State's report on Kuwait's Human Rights has noted his case.^[12]

In 2021, Al-Saleh stirred controversy in Kuwait by leaking what he claimed was a phone conversation with Kuwait's Deputy of Royal Protocol, Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. That same year, he also reported harassment by a member of the royal family, Mubarak Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.^[13][14][15]