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Saudi ArabiaPeople

by Alexandra Mansilla

Truly Saudi: Giving Saudi People the Space To Tell Their Stories

1 May 2025

Nadine Lingawi

You won’t find these kinds of stories about Saudi Arabia by scrolling Google or clicking hashtags. That is exactly why Truly Saudi was created.
The team explains it: “At its core, Truly Saudi is about amplifying Saudi’s voices — telling stories from the inside, with nuance, depth, and context. It's not about the headlines; it’s about the human moments that reveal the true texture of everyday life and culture in the Kingdom.”
And really, the platform’s purpose is right there in its name — to show what is truly Saudi, not just the stereotypes or surface impressions. It is not the polished, official version, but the layered, messy, fascinating human side.
It is a space where people can show their lives — the vibrant and the laid-back, the ancient and the modern, the expected and the surprising.
“It’s a celebration of the lived Saudi experience — what’s always been here, and what’s emerging every day: a dynamic, youthful culture driving change and enriching life across the Kingdom.”
From how people connect with culture, heritage, and the arts, to how they dive into sports, outdoor adventures, music, design, and other passions, Truly Saudi exists to capture it all.

The gap Truly Saudi set out to fill

Every social platform is born from a sense that something is missing — and for Truly Saudi, that gap was clear from the start. Too often, the stories told about Saudi Arabia come from the outside: headlines that reduce the country to clichés, or brief snapshots that overlook the depth and nuance of everyday life.
That is why the team set out to amplify voices from inside the Kingdom — stories told by Saudis and expats who know what is really happening on the ground.
“That’s why we spotlight our Truly Saudi Heroes,” they explain — “young artists, athletes, adventurers, musicians, dancers, designers, history buffs, and curious travellers — people who show the layers and textures of daily life here.”
It is a theme that comes up again and again when you talk to these heroes. Take rock climber and archaeologist Rawnaa Babunji, who puts it bluntly:
“When people say Saudi is just desert and oil, I tell them, don’t believe the media. We have green mountains, historical sites, and so much more.”
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Rawnaa Babunji

And it is not just about showing the world a new picture of Saudi Arabia — it is also about helping Saudis themselves rediscover the beauty in their own backyard. Culinary artist Nawal AlKhalawi puts it this way:
“The past couple of years, we as Saudis, have been discovering our land even more.”
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Nawal AlKhalawi

For Truly Saudi, the mission is clear: to offer a platform where young Saudis and expats can share these authentic journeys of discovery, and to give the world a richer, more human view of life inside the Kingdom.

It is all about the people

At Truly Saudi, it always comes back to the people.
When the team chooses their “Truly Saudi Heroes,” they ask two questions: Do they represent the modern Saudi story? Are they pushing cultural boundaries?
They are not necessarily celebrities or household names — some aren’t even Saudi nationals — but each one is shaping and reflecting the culture here in their own quiet, bold, and often unexpected way.
“We’re drawn to a certain energy,” the team says. With over 60% of the population under 30, Saudi Arabia is young, dynamic, and deeply connected to both its roots and its future. Naturally, many of the heroes they feature are young too. But more than age, it’s their fresh perspective on their communities, cities, and regions that stands out.
Some have been building and creating for years; others are just starting out. What connects them all is their impact — building new scenes, challenging assumptions, and sparking inspiration.
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Sami AlAmoudi

In Jeddah, creative Sami AlAmoudi, founder of the design company Crooked Guru, talks about the importance of collaboration:
“We connect subcultures and communities together to develop a kind of sharing cooperative energy.”
Street dancer Soony sees himself as part of a cultural shift:
“I want to help the Saudi dance scene grow more… I feel like I’m part of this change.”
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Dur Bali

And basketball player Dur Bali dreams of raising the next generation’s ambitions:
“It’s not just an after-school activity. You can be a representative of this sport for this country. Make your family proud, make the country proud.”
That’s why Truly Saudi calls them heroes. Because shifting culture — even in small, everyday ways — takes courage, creativity, and heart.
And the work is just beginning.
Saudi Arabia is vast, with stories waiting to be told from every corner. From Abha to Al Ahsa, from Ta’if to Tabuk — each city has its own pulse, its own creative energy, its own way of life. Beyond the major hubs, voices from smaller towns and remote regions are just as vital, sharing dreams of the future they are excited to shape.
Even in places already in the spotlight, new communities are quietly emerging: underground music collectives, new-age wellness spaces, grassroots cultural movements. All of them are building something meaningful, just under the surface.
“At Truly Saudi, we’re committed to looking both deep and wide — bringing focus to stories across the spectrum and making sure the lens we offer is as inclusive as the country itself.”

Busting the myths

If you ask the team at Truly Saudi what the biggest myth about Saudi Arabia is, they’ll tell you straight:
“The biggest myth is the monolith — that there’s only one Saudi Arabia.”
Too often, people imagine the Kingdom as a place with a single lifestyle, a single culture, one mindset, one landscape. But anyone who has lived here knows the truth is far more complex.
Saudi Arabia is incredibly diverse — culturally, geographically, and creatively. Coastal cities like Jeddah feel worlds apart from the misty mountain towns of Abha or the fast-paced, electric energy of Riyadh. Each region has its own pulse, its own traditions, its own unique way of shaping the national story.
Another big misconception? That creativity and self-expression are something new here.
Koren Dasor, a British national who has spent over a decade in the Kingdom building his career as a creative director, explains:
“There’s such a rich history of creative practice here. People’s uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents — they’ve all had some artistic tradition they were engaged with. Across Saudi Arabia, you’ll find creativity passed down through generations — whether in traditional crafts or in the spirit of invention that drives new forms of expression.”
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Koren Dasor

Fashion stylist Zeina Kilani agrees — and celebrates the way Saudi Arabia has developed its own distinctive style:
“Fashion always existed here in Saudi. I used to see fashion in family gatherings, where I saw women dressed better than I’ve seen in fashion weeks. The best thing about fashion here is that we met halfway — we created our own way of merging modernism and modesty, feminism and masculinity, but everything is still authentic, and you can still see our culture.”
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Zeina Kilani

So Truly Saudi doesn’t just spotlight what is new — it uncovers what has always been here: layers of culture, creativity, and identity that have quietly shaped Saudi life and are now ready to be seen, heard, and celebrated.
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