Bahraini comedian Saad Al Ameeri, has 100,000 followers on Instagram alone

With the emergence of social media sites, applications and networks in the past decade, more people around the world would explore it as a platform to broadcast their talents leading to the birth of “online celebrities”. The phenomenon has spread throughout the different cultures and nations of the world, including Bahrain, where Bahraini Saad Al Ameeri, 23, became a prominent comedian on Instagram, YouTube and other sites. Tribune interviewed Mr Al Ameeri who spoke about his story and how he became an “online celebrity” across the GCC, with around 100,000 followers on Instagram alone.

When did you start posting your videos on social networks and what motivated you?

I started recording short clips back in 2012 and was initially sharing them only with family and friends, mainly through WhatsApp groups. Then, my friends and family appreciated my talent and encouraged me to go public. A year later, I started posting different videos online. They quickly gained popularity and were shared on different social media apps, including Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. My family and friends helped me grow more in this field and they’ve always guided me on the type of topics and materials before posting online.

What is the content you focus on and the audience you target?

I usually film posts touching various topics. I have filmed videos giving religious advice, discussing wrong social behaviours and funny videos. I have noticed that my audience is mainly between the age of 16 and 32. They are mostly Bahrainis, but I have received a positive interaction from followers from fellow GCC countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE. I also observed that the most shared and liked videos of mine were the funny videos and the clips touching social issues in a comedian frame.

What were the main challenges you faced?

The most difficult phase was the beginning, as I was suddenly exposed to thousands of viewers after my videos were initially shown to family and friends. I have received some harsh comments and had many critics in the beginning. This didn’t stop me. It actually motivated and showed me some mistakes that I would avoid in my later works. Interacting with my critics and listening to their comments have actually gained me more followers. Even harsh comments served me a platform for growth.

What are your future plans?

I look forward to develop my acting career. I haven’t studied it, I was told by many that I have a natural talent. My ambition is to act on a stage or on TV one day. Anyhow, this won’t stop me from posting on social media networks, as it was my beginning.

What’s your advice to young people who are planning to build a career similar to yours on social media?

My advice is to believe in yourself and work hard. As everyone knows, it’s more difficult to excel on social media nowadays unlike a few years ago. It’s because of the existing competition. So I think one will only succeed if he/she comes with a new and innovative idea. When I began, many accounts that have big numbers of followers helped me by sharing my videos. I’ll be glad to do the same with any upcoming Bahraini talents.