ABU DHABI // From how to dress like a local to expatriate tips for Ramadan, Mohsin Khan, better known as Emkwan, has taken his YouTube channel to new heights.
The 31-year-old started a vlog, or video diary, with his wife, Nabeelah, when they moved to the UAE from the UK three years ago. They planned to document their lives for their family members who lived abroad.
“The channel is about me, my wife and our baby sharing life in the UAE,” he said. “We’ll go to places to eat and review them. It’s also about giving information to people outside the UAE about what happens here: the culture, religious and National Day activities.”
Most requests he receives are about the steps that need to be taken when moving to the UAE.
“People ask what are the things we need to know,” said Emkwan, an English teacher at a government college in Abu Dhabi. “It’s not just about Emirati culture, it’s about Arab culture and sharing the UAE lifestyle.”
He became a YouTube user six years ago when starting a technology-driven channel teaching viewers how to use different devices and cars.
Both channels are now extremely popular, and have attracted 22,000 total subscribers.
“The most popular vlog on the channel is one where locals from Ras Al Khaimah taught me how to wear the kandura,” he said. “A bunch of people back in the UK asked me how to tie [the ghutra] so I made a tutorial of how to wrap it and it has about 155,000 views to date.”
He said having such a platform in the UAE was crucial to understanding local customs.
“There are a lot of misconceptions,” Emkwan said. “We live here so we know what it’s like, but outside of the country, it still surprises me when people don’t know where the UAE is. There’s a conception that the Middle East is all doom and gloom, so it’s important to let people know that it’s not always that case.”
Videos like his help educate viewers, he said.
“What also surprises people is the variety of people that appear on videos because it’s not everybody dressed in a kandura,” he said.
His most recent video includes five tips for expatriates during Ramadan. “Some people are too afraid to ask basic questions about Ramadan, like what do we say to people when Ramadan starts, is there a greeting for Ramadan, and some people even think we don’t eat for a whole month. Others also don’t know if they should accept or turn down iftar invitations because they think it’s a very religious event.”
With the help of a few good Emirati friends who double-check facts, Emkwan has uploaded 160 videos so far.
“Initially I wasn’t too keen on such videos because it’s private life on YouTube,” said his wife, alias Ms Beelah. “But I saw the positives in it. Documenting our experiences and being able to share it with family and for ourselves to look back on is quite cool. The most popular ones I’ve taken part in involve my cooking, as food is always such a big thing with people.”
Mary Fitzgerald, who moved from the US a couple of months ago, said some cultural sensitivities were not obvious when she first arrived.
“As expatriates, we’re not always aware of the dos and don’ts in the Middle East, so it’s always helpful to get that information from a reliable source,” she said. “I haven’t encountered any trouble yet but I’ve definitely hesitated at times, especially when meeting locals as I don’t always know whether I should shake their hand or not.
“It’s just better to have someone tell you to avoid any embarrassing situations.”
cmalek@thenational.ae