How YouTube became a home for culture and community

Creators from the Philippines, Iraq and India reflect on how the video platform gave them a voice

In the UAE, YouTube reached more than 7.5 million people aged 18 and above in May 2024. Getty Images

When YouTube launched in 2005, it was a simple site for sharing videos, best demonstrated through the first video shared on the platform. Twenty years ago, on April 23, 2005, Me at the Zoo was shared. The 19-second clip features co-founder Jawed Karim standing in front of elephants at a zoo. It has amassed more than 355,007,495 views to date.

Today, YouTube reaches more than two billion people each month, shaping how creators tell stories, share identities and build communities. In the Middle East and South Asia, that influence is especially strong – and deeply personal.

In the UAE, YouTube reached more than 7.5 million people aged 18 and above in May 2024, with 2.5 million tuning in using connected TV. In Saudi Arabia, in the same month, YouTube reached 20 million adults. According to a survey conducted by British market research company Kantar, 85 per cent of viewers in the kingdom said they feel a stronger connection to creators on YouTube than on any other platform.

For creators living and working in the UAE – including Iraqi chef Shaheen Khalil, who goes by Chef Shaheen and has 3.39 million YouTube subscribers; Filipino chef and restaurateur JP Anglo, with 285,000 subscribers; and Indian content creator Twinkle Stanly, followed by more than 38,800 people – YouTube is not only a place to upload. It’ is where life, work and purpose converge.

Each brings a distinct voice to the platform, using it to share food, culture and personal stories with audiences across the Gulf and beyond.

Finding their voice, by accident or design

None of the three set out to become YouTubers in the traditional sense. Their journeys began with curiosity, downtime or a simple nudge from someone else.

Khalil’s first upload came in 2018. “A friend of mine asked me to make a simple dish with rice and yogurt. It turned out really good, so I thought – why not film it?” he tells The National. “I didn’t really know much about filming or editing at the time, so I grabbed a piece of cardboard as if it’s a tripod, set it up, started recording and just edited the clips as best as I could.”

Restaurateur JP Anglo, a Filipino chef born and raised in Bacolod city. Photo: RR Barretto

Filipino foodie JP Anglo launched his channel in 2019, but says his YouTube channel was “just there ... sort of like just a dormant channel” before Covid-19. During the pandemic, a couple invited him and his wife Camilla to dinner and introduced them to YouTube monetisation. After the dinner, he says, he stayed up late uploading his old videos that night.

Twinkle Stanly, a former senior content producer at Cosmopolitan Middle East, was born and raised in the UAE and started posting videos in 2020. “Once my Instagram took off in 2023, and I started getting a lot more followers, people wanted to see longer-form content [on YouTube],” she tells The National.

Twinkle Stanly is Indian digital creator specialising in beauty, fashion and lifestyle content. Photo: Twinkle Stanly

A quote from Syrian YouTuber Ossy Marwah convinced her to focus more seriously on the platform. “He basically said that if someone can watch 10 minutes of your video on YouTube, that is equal to 10 reels on Instagram.”

A 'community' more than a platform

Each creator describes YouTube as a space that brought them closer to others, often in unexpected ways.

“People don’t just know me as a chef, they know my story, my roots and my values,” says Khalil. “YouTube gave me a platform, but more than that, it gave me a voice.”

Stanly says, “People get to see you, they understand you. Nothing is taken out of context. They can see you for who you really are. Even when I’m creating videos on YouTube, I still feel like, 'OK, I’m doing something valuable'.”

For Anglo, the connection is about making a difference he tells The National that he loves hearing feedback like, “‘Hey, chef, I watched your vlog about this eatery and took my family – they loved it.’” The goal, he says, is to “champion the little guys”.

From screen to real life

Online momentum has translated into real-world milestones. Both Anglo and Khalil have launched restaurants in Dubai – Kooya Filipino Eatery and Yaba – shaped by the support of their YouTube followers.

Iraqi chef and YouTuber Shaheen Khalil at his restaurant Yaba in Jumeirah. Instagram / Chef Shaheen

“People were always asking, ‘Where can we try your food?’ I wanted to bring those digital flavours into real-life experiences,” says Khalil of his followers' support. “They’ve been everything – from flying in just to try the food, to giving feedback that helped shape the menu.”

Anglo says he often revisits restaurants he’s featured, only to find them full. “That was the gauge,” he says. “When the owner starts to realise how good they are – that’s the impact.”

While Stanly hasn’t opened a business, the shift into content creation has changed her day-to-day life. “At my job before, I was constantly working. Even at dinner with family, I’d have my laptop open. Now we’re able to take family trips. I don’t have to be rushing back every Sunday night to prep for work.”

Staying grounded while growing

All three say staying authentic is more important than chasing trends – even when the platform evolves.

“My vlog is like the weather – constantly changing,” says Anglo. “I would like to grow organically and I’m happy where I am. As they say in cooking, low and slow.”

Khalil adds, “Start with love, not views. Don’t try to go viral – try to go real. Be consistent, be honest and always cook with your heart first, camera second.”

For Stanly, authenticity sometimes comes at a cost. “If you’re super relatable on social media – if you’re candid – it can scare away a few brands,” she says. “But YouTube is where I feel closest to my audience. That’s why I keep coming back to it.”

Looking forward with purpose

Even as platforms such as TikTok and Instagram grow, these creators say YouTube remains at the heart of their creative future.

“I know three topics that always get me followers,” says Stanly. “But my existing community wants more. You can never stray too far away – and you can’t do the same thing over and over again either.”

Anglo is working on refining his content. “I wanna polish it a bit – better audio, better lighting, better cinematography,” he says. “Version 2.0 … but still me.”

Khalil, meanwhile, has hinted at projects beyond the kitchen. “Let’s just say … there’s more cooking to come, but maybe not just in the kitchen.”

All three have reached major milestones – whether building loyal audiences, launching restaurants, or being recognised by YouTube itself. Anglo recently received the platform’s Silver Creator Award for surpassing 100,000 subscribers.

But the real achievement, they say, is making something that lasts.

“YouTube is my community,” Anglo says. “They get me and I get them.”

Stanly says: “No other platform gives you that closeness. YouTube is where I feel like I’m truly seen.”

Khalil adds that "it's personal – these are the flavours I grew up with, the stories I carry".

As YouTube enters its third decade, it’s not only the numbers that matter – it is the stories behind the screen and the creators who keep showing up to tell them.