Wild Arab West brings together Eastern and Western culture
The “Wild Arab West” is a concept created by two UAE residents, Hassa and Iman, as a platform to highlight the fusion of Eastern and Western culture through art, lifestyle and entertainment, writes Kathy Gillett.
The Wild Arab West official page reports: “For many years we have been entertained by memes and other funny products from the West. Now is the time to focus on Arab pop culture and highlight the emerging identity shift for Arab millennials . ”
During the first six months of the existence of the “Wild Arab West” (or, as it is called, WAW), no one knew who was running it. This platform, which focuses on arts, lifestyle and entertainment, was created during the pandemic. Two friends from the UAE – 29-year-old Hassa Ali Al-Ehla and 28-year-old Iman al-Midfa – have launched a youth-oriented creative brand that brings together Eastern and Western cultures.
They started with the platform to 50 000. Instagram, the number of subscribers which increased rapidly in 2020, they have held their own exhibition in the area of artists and designers in Dubai – Dubai Design District, and even launched a line of products, including clothing, covers for iPhone and stickers.
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Two friends from the UAE, Hassa Ali Al-Ehla and Iman al-Midfa, launched the “Wild Arab West” into a pandemic / Source: Wild Arab West
“Many people think that the creators of the ‘Wild Arab West’ are men or a team of men and women, because our content is targeted at both sexes … Maybe many people think that women cannot be so funny and funny to create such content “, – says al-Midfa with a laugh.
Also, many believe that the creators of the “Wild Arab West” work in a creative space. Meanwhile, this is not true. The friends who met while studying at the university did not have a specialized education in the field of design and art and worked in the field of finance. “We didn’t study art. Many people think that we are graphic designers. We like to hear that, but it’s not like that, ”says al-Midfa.
It is easy to understand why such ideas have arisen. Their Instagram feed is filled with colorful, hilarious, graphics-rich content and funny memes that reflect news and trending topics and, most importantly, are loved by young people.
“We were very surprised by the popularity of our platform when we started. It’s just unrealistic, ”says al-Midfa.
One of the latest WAW promotions takes place during Dubai Design Week , which runs from November 8-13. Throughout the event, the vending machine rented by the friends will stand outside Building 7, giving people a good mood. Those who wish will be able to press a button, after which an inscription containing compliments or a motivating statement will appear in Arabic or English (depending on the choice). The use of the machine will be free of charge.
“After the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, more attention should be paid to mental health and being kind to everyone. We decided that the vending machine is not only able to amuse the guests of the exhibition, but also corresponds to the concept of our brand as much as possible – we like to cheer people up, give them joy and pleasure, ”explains Ali Al-Ehla.
Islamosphere