This biographical article is written like a résumé. (September 2021) |
Abdullah Muhammad Al-Saleh (Arabic: عبدالله محمد عبدالله الصالح) is a Kuwaiti YouTuber and self-proclaimed activist. He resides in London as a political refugee, having faced imprisonment in Kuwait due to his criticism of the Gulf states, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman.
Abdullah Muhammad Al-Saleh عبدالله محمد عبدالله الصالح | |
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| Born | May 8, 1985 |
| Nationality | Kuwaiti |
| Education | Kuwait University (Bsc Businesses Administration and Marketing) London South Bank University (Msc, PhD Economic Development) |
| Occupation | |
Education edit
Al-Saleh studied at Kuwait English School from 1988 to 2001 and graduated IGCSE. He earned bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing at the College of Business Administration in Kuwait University from 2001 to 2005 and 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 edit
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 also runs a political YouTube show[5] that exposes 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 from 2004 to 2005.
Refugee status edit
Al-Saleh received a total of 54-years of prison sentences 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]
References edit
- ^ "PhD paper of Al-Saleh" (PDF). lsbu.ac.uk.
- ^ Al Saleh, A. (2016). Analysing Shariah-compliant microfinance _ a case study of Uganda (Ph.D). British Library EThOS. doi:10.18744/PUB.001782.
- ^ "Exiled Kuwaiti blogger defiant after conviction for opposing Qatar siege". Middle East Eye.
- ^ a b "Kuwaiti authorities sentence local journalist in absentia to five years hard labor". Committee to Protect Journalists. cpj.org. 12 January 2018.
- ^ "Kuwait slaps blogger who insulted Saudi Arabia with five-year sentence". The New Arab. 26 December 2017.
- ^ "#تحياتي_وأشواقي | مقابلتي في قناة BBC Arabic 121". YouTube.
- ^ "Ten years in jail upheld". Arab Times. 25 March 2019.
- ^ "Kuwaiti blogger sentenced to prison over UAE insults". Arabian Business magazine.
- ^ "Amnesty International letter".
- ^ "مجدداً.. "الجنايات": حبس المغرد عبدالله الصالح 5 سنوات". جريدة القبس.
- ^ "Kuwait sentences blogger to ten-year for tweet against Saudi, UAE and Bahrain". AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA). 27 January 2018.
- ^ "2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Kuwait". www.state.gov.
- ^ العرب, Al Arab (24 April 2022). "شيخ كويتي يتوقّع "نهاية" بلاده في عشر سنوات |" [A Kuwaiti Sheikh predicts the 'end' of his country in ten years]. صحيفة العرب (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 7 September 2021.
- ^ ""نهاية الكويت في غضون سنوات".. تسجيلات صوتية خطيرة لمسؤول كبير تفجر غضب الكويتيين | وطن يغرد خارج السرب". Watan (in Arabic).
- ^ "Cease and desist letter from Al-Saleh".