How Western travel bloggers project a sanitized reality of Syria’s war

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Updated 30 August 2022
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How Western travel bloggers project a sanitized reality of Syria’s war

  • YouTubers often emphasize security and normality, stressing how they feel “perfectly safe” in war-torn country 
  • Human rights monitors warn such content gives the wrong impression Syria is safe for returnees 

LONDON: Saddled with a bankrupt economy, a devastated infrastructure and a worthless currency, the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad is on a desperate mission to mend relations with its neighbors and expedite its return to the Arab League.

Although political rehabilitation on a global scale remains a bridge too far, the Assad government has made some progress in rebuilding its ties with Arab states, as evidenced by the reopening of some embassies in Damascus and the return of Syrian ambassadors to some Arab capitals.

With active conflict easing across large swaths of Syria — remaining rebel factions are confined to isolated holdouts in the far south and northwest — the regime has increasingly turned to tourism in an attempt to whitewash its well-documented crimes against humanity.

In recent months, Western travel bloggers and YouTubers have flocked to regime-held areas of Syria in record numbers in search of images and testimonies they believe offer a candid, agenda-free look inside the outcast dictatorship.

Content of this kind, which includes videos that in some cases have amassed more than 2.5 million views, is often presented as a perspective on the “Syria that the media won’t show,” as Benjamin Rich, a British vlogger who goes by the YouTube user name “Bald and Bankrupt,” put it in a recent upload.




Benjamin Rich (‘Bald and Bankrupt’) filming destroyed buildings in Homs. (Supplied)

But human-rights monitors and experts are concerned that this rise of “war tourism” projects a sanitized version of reality that serves the regime’s disinformation campaign about Syria now being safe for refugees to return and resume their normal lives.

“Travel bloggers are perhaps the best advertising the Syrian government has had in over a decade,” Simon Bayley, the lead Syria analyst at the Center for Operational Analysis and Research, told Arab News.

“They tell only stories that the government would tell, gloss over the crimes of the state, and neglect realities that the government would consider best ignored. There can be no accountability, only more denial, control and marginalization of the many millions of Syrians to have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods as a result of the regime’s actions.”

In several videos, bloggers appear keen to emphasize a sense of security and normality in Syria, for example by stressing how “perfectly safe” they feel, as YouTube user “Backpacker Ben” stated in one of his videos. “We were walking around, drinking beers on the street, talking to people,” he said.




‘Backpacker Ben’ filming a destroyed rebel stronghold in Maaloula, in rural Damascus. (Supplied)

But the Syria Justice and Accountability Center, a human rights organization based in Washington, D.C., warned that the content uploaded by travel bloggers creates a false impression of stability and security.

“Syria is clearly not safe for the return of refugees,” Mohammed Al-Abdallah, the center’s executive director, told Arab News. “But, if you watch these videos, you see a Syria that is safe, stable and, in some ways, prospering.”

The videos also appear to suggest the conflict in the country is largely over and life is returning to normal.

“Syrians who return to Syria don’t have those same experiences and often face intense suspicion and persecution by the Syrian government,” said Al-Abdallah.

According to human rights monitors, including the European Asylum Support Office, the Syrian regime continues to arrest, detain, interrogate, torture and kill returnees, despite many of them obtaining security clearances and status settlement before returning to Syria.

“For millions of Syrians, returning to Syria is not an option,” Laila Kiki, the executive director of rights-monitoring group The Syria Campaign, told Arab News.

“Several human rights reports indicate that those who do so have been arrested, forcibly disappeared, tortured or even killed.”

“Backpacker Ben” told Arab News that he does not have any political agenda and was not aware of the situation that returning refugees faced. He said that since he published his videos, displaced Syrians have sent him messages expressing “confusion” on seeing, of all people, a tourist visiting their war-torn homeland.

INNUMBERS

100,000+ Estimated number of people missing or disappeared.

50% Proportion of the prewar population who are displaced.

90% Share of the remaining population now living in poverty.

Source: UN Human Rights office

Many travel bloggers say they are apolitical and know little about the Syrian conflict. Some, however, try to offer explanations for the scenes of destruction they encounter and film during their travels. Many critics suspect that they are merely repeating and amplifying talking points fed to them by regime-approved tour guides.

For example, videos uploaded by Rich (“Bald and Bankrupt”) show bombed-out buildings in Aleppo, Homs and Maaloula. Tellingly, he attributes the damage to “militants” without any mention of the Assad regime, whose war tactics are widely blamed for most of the destruction of Syria’s urban infrastructure.




Thomas Brag (‘Yes Theory’) in abandoned neighborhoods in Homs. (Supplied)

When travel bloggers are shown around Damascus, many of them venture to the nearby town of Sednaya to visit a renowned Greek Orthodox Church monastery. What these bloggers often gloss over is the fact that one of Syria’s most notorious prisons, where thousands of regime opponents have been tortured to death, is also located in Sednaya.

Bloggers’ visits are usually arranged through Syrian travel agencies that claim to be independent. However, experts say these agencies, like all other companies in the country, must obtain the approval of the Assad regime to operate.




Jaabar Citadel, the ancient lake-side fortress once used by jihadists to launch attacks, is slowly regaining its status as a top cultural destination. (AFP)

“For a country in which it is practically impossible to establish a volunteer charity initiative without considerable — often wholly prohibitive — interference from the central state, it is improbable that a Syrian travel agency has been able to secure the requisite licensing, permissions and access without some form of state intervention,” said Bayley.

Such travel agencies are carefully vetted by state security services, he said, and it is likely they are made well aware of the consequences for their business if their tours result in any bad publicity for the regime.

“Backpacker Ben” said he was accompanied throughout his visit to Syria by a “fixer” who guided him around the country. He admitted feeling “slightly restricted” as a result. Such guides appear to stay at the same hotels as their tour parties.




A family visits the ruins of the Jaabar Citadel in Syria's Raqqa province on June 3, 2022. The ancient lake-side fortress is attracting visitors from across war-torn Syria. (AFP) 

Hesham Nasri, the marketing director at Syrian travel agency Golden Team, told Arab news that tour operators typically take care of the entire process for foreign clients, from obtaining visas to creating itineraries.

He said the agency applies to government authorities for all required security clearances on behalf of clients who want to visit Syria, and the permits that allow the tourists and their guides to travel around the country.

Although Nasri said no conditions are attached to the security-clearance process, Syrian immigration authorities have been known to reject the visa applications of certain nationalities, notably American citizens.




What the gullible travel bloggers are not saying is the danger that awaits visitors in much of war-ravaged Syria. (AFP file)

Monitors say that by facilitating such stage-managed visits for often ill-informed and gullible travel bloggers, the regime is able to peddle its propaganda in cyberspace and bypass the professional rigour of conventional journalism.

“In future, I hope those with an online presence are mindful as to the consequences of their actions in such a politically sensitive place,” said Bayley.

“Regardless of how much one knows about the conflict, it is abundantly clear that a war is still being fought and that the wounds from that conflict are still very much open for many millions of people.”

 

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Asharq crowned ‘Telly Media Company of the Year’ globally for second year running

Updated 21 May 2025
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Asharq crowned ‘Telly Media Company of the Year’ globally for second year running

  • Network bagged 160 awards across various categories, including 25 gold, 76 silver and 59 bronze.

Riyadh: Asharq Network has won the “Telly Company of the Year” award for the second consecutive year.

The accolade recognizes the network’s efforts in producing impactful, high-quality content. In total, Asharq Network received 160 awards across various categories, including 25 gold, 76 silver and 59 bronze.

The network stood out among 13,000 record-breaking entries from five continents. Its winning work includes content from across all Asharq Network brands, including Asharq News, Asharq Business with Bloomberg, Asharq Documentary, Asharq Discovery.

“We are deeply honored to receive the Telly Company of the Year award for the second consecutive year. This achievement reflects the hard work, creativity and passion of our entire team, who continue to push the boundaries in creativity and media,” said Nabeel Alkhatib, general manager of Asharq News.

“This recognition reinforces our commitment to providing our audience with the most insightful and engaging content, tailored to the evolving needs of the Arabic-speaking world.”

Mohammed Alyousei, general manager of Asharq Discovery and Asharq Documentary, said: “Receiving this honor is a profound affirmation of our team’s unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation. This global recognition motivates us to continue pushing the boundaries of storytelling, ensuring that we deliver narratives that resonate and make a meaningful impact.”

Asharq Network’s storytelling and production quality were recognized across multiple categories. Asharq News and Asharq Business standout wins included coverage of the “US Elections Campaign,” the immersive VR Story on the “Destruction of Gaza,” the “Year-Ender 2024 Promo,” and the innovative “Business Image Promo — Connect the Dots.”

Asharq Documentary’s powerful “Faces” series was honored alongside compelling promos for the original documentaries “Under the Rubble,” “Beyond Sednaya,” “Moataz Aziza,” “Amazing Mercy of Tents” and “Dooms Day.” Meanwhile, Asharq Discovery’s gripping “Dark Minds” series and the dynamic “Shark Week” idents captured the judges’ attention, showcasing the network’s creative versatility and commitment to impactful content.

Steven Cheak, director of creative and branding services at Asharq Network, said: “Winning at the Telly Awards once again is a monumental achievement for our young and passionate team. Competing among such esteemed global brands only motivates us to continue elevating the standard of content creation. This year’s win underscores the brilliance of teams working well together, embracing technology, to achieve content that engage and resonate with our audiences. It’s truly inspiring to see our work being acknowledged globally, and this recognition fuels our passion to continue innovating, creating and telling stories that matter.”

The Telly Awards, established in 1979, are one of the most respected global awards programs, celebrating the best in video and television content. The awards cover a diverse range of categories, from traditional television commercials to cutting-edge digital media.


UAE launches Arabic language AI model as Gulf race gathers pace

Updated 21 May 2025
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UAE launches Arabic language AI model as Gulf race gathers pace

  • Falcon Arabic, developed by Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), aims to capture the full linguistic diversity of the Arab world

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates launched a new Arabic language artificial intelligence (AI) model on Wednesday as the regional race to develop AI technologies accelerates in the Gulf.
Falcon Arabic, developed by Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), aims to capture the full linguistic diversity of the Arab world through a “high-quality native (non-translated) Arabic dataset,” a statement said.
It also matches the performance of models up to 10 times its size, it said.
“Today, AI leadership is not about scale for the sake of scale. It is about making powerful tools useful, usable, and universal,” Faisal Al Bannai, ATRC secretary general said in the statement.
ATRC also launched Falcon H1, which it said outperforms competitors from Meta and Alibaba by reducing the computing power and technical expertise traditionally required to run advanced systems.

The UAE has been spending billions of dollars in a push to become a global AI player, looking to leverage its strong relations with the United States to secure access to technology.
US President Donald Trump said during a visit last week that an AI agreement with the UAE creates a path for it to access some of the advanced AI semiconductors from US firms, a major win for the Gulf country.
AI was a central theme during Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia as well, which is pitching itself as a prospective hub for AI activity outside the US.
The kingdom launched a new company earlier this month to develop and manage AI technologies and infrastructure, which is also aiming to offer one of the world’s most powerful multimodal Arabic large language models, according to a statement.


Google’s unleashes ‘AI Mode’ in the next phase of its journey to change search

Updated 21 May 2025
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Google’s unleashes ‘AI Mode’ in the next phase of its journey to change search

  • Google is also feeding its latest AI model, Gemini 2.5, into its search algorithms and will soon begin testing other AI features

CALIFORNIA: Google on Tuesday unleashed another wave of artificial intelligence technology to accelerate a year-long makeover of its search engine that is changing the way people get information and curtailing the flow of Internet traffic to websites.
The next phase outlined at Google’s annual developers conference includes releasing a new “AI mode” option in the United States. The feature makes interacting with Google’s search engine more like having a conversation with an expert capable of answering questions on just about any topic imaginable.
AI mode is being offered to all comers in the US just two-and-a-half-months after the company began testing with a limited Labs division audience.
Google is also feeding its latest AI model, Gemini 2.5, into its search algorithms and will soon begin testing other AI features, such as the ability to automatically buy concert tickets and conduct searches through live video feeds.
In another example of Google’s all-in approach to AI, the company revealed it is planning to leverage the technology to re-enter the smart glasses market with a new pair of Android XR-powered spectacles. The preview of the forthcoming device, which includes a hands-free camera and a voice-powered AI assistant, comes 13 years after the debut of “Google Glass,” a product that the company scrapped after a public backlash over privacy concerns.
Google didn’t say when its Android XR glasses will be available or how much they will cost, but disclosed they will be designed in partnership with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. The glasses will compete against a similar product already on the market from Facebook parent Meta Platforms and Ray-Ban.
AI’s big role in Google search
The expansion builds upon a transformation that Google began a year ago with the introduction of conversational summaries called “AI overviews” that have been increasingly appearing at the top of its results page and eclipsing its traditional rankings of web links.
About 1.5 billion people now regularly engage with “AI overviews,” according to Google, and most users are now entering longer and more complex queries.
“What all this progress means is that we are in a new phase of the AI platform shift, where decades of research are now becoming reality for people all over the world,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said before a packed crowd in an amphitheater near the company’s Mountain View, California, headquarters.
AI ripples across the Internet
Although Pichai and other Google executives predicted AI overviews would trigger more searches and ultimately more clicks to other sites, it hasn’t worked out that way so far, according to the findings of search optimization firm BrightEdge.
Clickthrough rates from Google’s search results have declined by nearly 30 percent during the past year, according to BrightEdge’s recently released study, which attributed the decrease to people becoming increasingly satisfied with AI overviews.
The decision to make AI mode broadly available after a relatively short test period reflects Google’s confidence that the technology won’t habitually spew misinformation that tarnishes its brand’s reputation, and acknowledges the growing competition from other AI-powered search options from the likes of ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Will AI undercut or empower Google?
The rapid rise of AI alternatives emerged as a recurring theme in legal proceedings that could force Google to dismantle parts of its Internet empire after a federal judge last year declared its search engine to be an illegal monopoly.
In testimony during a trial earlier this month, longtime Apple executive Eddy Cue said Google searches done through the iPhone maker’s Safari browser have been declining because more people are leaning on AI-powered alternatives.
And Google has cited the upheaval being caused by AI’s rise as one of the main reasons that it should only be required to make relatively minor changes to the way it operates its search engine because technology already is changing the competitive landscape.
But Google’s reliance on more AI so far appears to be enabling its search engine to maintain its mantle as the Internet’s main gateway — a position that’s main reason its corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., boasts a market value of $2 trillion.
During the year ending in March, Google received 136 billion monthly visits, 34 times more than ChatGPT’s average of 4 billion monthly visits, according to data compiled by onelittleweb.com.
Even Google’s own AI mode acknowledged that the company’s search engine seems unlikely to be significantly hurt by the shift to AI technology when a reporter from The Associated Press asked whether its introduction would make the company even more powerful.
“Yes, it is highly likely that Google’s AI mode will make Google more powerful, particularly in the realm of information access and online influence,” the AI mode responded. The feature also warns that web publishers should be concerned about AI mode reducing the traffic they get from search results.
Even more AI waiting in the wings
Google’s upcoming tests in its Labs division foreshadow the next wave of AI technology likely to be made available to the masses.
Besides using its Project Mariner technology to test the ability of an AI agent to buy tickets and book restaurant reservations, Google will also experiment with searches done through live video and an opt-in option to give its AI technology access to people’s Gmail and other Google apps so it can learn more about a user’s tastes and habits. Other features on this summer’s test list include a “Deep Search” option that will use AI to dig even deeper into complex topics and another tool that will produce graphical presentations of sports and finance data.
Google is also introducing its equivalent of a VIP pass to all its AI technology with an “Ultra” subscription package that will cost $250 per month and include 30 terabytes of storage, too. That’s a big step beyond Google’s previous top-of-the-line package, which is now called “AI “Pro,” that costs $20 per month and includes two terabytes of storage.


Spanish, Belgian broadcasters say Eurovision televoting ‘encourages manipulation’ after Israel’s result at contest

Updated 21 May 2025
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Spanish, Belgian broadcasters say Eurovision televoting ‘encourages manipulation’ after Israel’s result at contest

  • Israeli contestant Yuval Raphael unexpectedly came in second place
  • ‘A system in which everyone can cast up to 20 votes is a system that encourages manipulation,’ says Flemish parliamentarian

LONDON: Spanish and Belgian broadcasters have accused Eurovision Song Contest organizers of “encouraging manipulation” after the Israeli contestant won their public vote and came second in the 2025 competition.

RTVE, Spain’s public broadcaster, and the Flemish VRT have filed complaints with the European Broadcasting Union, the organizer, requesting an investigation into last week’s televoting system results.

Israeli contestant Yuval Raphael unexpectedly came in second place after Austria’s JJ, who won Eurovision with 436 points with his song “Wasted Love.”

Raphael, who was at the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel when Hamas attacked on Oct. 7, 2023, earned 357 combined points from the jury and public at the Eurovision final on May 17. Her result included 12 points, each awarded by the televoters in Spain and Belgium, despite the countries’ juries giving Israel a score of zero.

The Eurovision televoting system allows viewers to vote up to 20 times for a small fee charged for each vote via text or phone call. Each country’s contestant can earn a maximum of 12 points from either a jury or the public vote. To ensure fairness, contestants do not receive points from their own countries.

Katia Segers, a Flemish parliamentarian, said: “A system in which everyone can cast up to 20 votes is a system that encourages manipulation.

“Whether this manipulation occurred in our country and all other participating and non-participating countries must be investigated.”

She added: “The VRT must take the lead in requesting this investigation, and in holding the debate on the televoting system within the EBU, and on Israel’s participation.”

It was Israel’s second year participating in Eurovision while its military forces continue ongoing attacks in the Gaza Strip, which have killed over 52,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

More than 70 former Eurovision participants earlier this month accused Israel’s public broadcaster KAN of being “complicit in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza” and demanded the exclusion of Tel Aviv from the European contest.

Last week’s final performance by Raphael in Basel, Switzerland, was disrupted by pro-Palestine protesters who attempted to storm the stage. The winner, Austria, will host the 2026 edition.

RTVE’s coverage of the event displayed for 16 seconds a black screen with white lettering in Spanish and English that read: “When human rights are at stake, silence is not an option. Peace and Justice for Palestine.”

The message was perceived as a stance against Israel’s participation. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday called for Israel to be treated the same way as Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and to be banned from future contests.

Managing Director of Eurovision Martin Green confirmed that the organization was taking Spain and Belgium’s complaint “seriously.”

He said: “It is important to emphasize that the voting operation for the Eurovision Song Contest is the most advanced in the world and each country’s result is checked and verified by a huge team of people to exclude any suspicious or irregular voting patterns.

“An independent compliance monitor reviews both jury and public vote data to ensure we have a valid result. We remain in constant contact with all participating broadcasters of the Eurovision Song Contest and take their concerns seriously.”


McCann Content Studios expands footprint to Saudi Arabia

Updated 20 May 2025
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McCann Content Studios expands footprint to Saudi Arabia

  • Studio is part of FP7 McCann Riyadh

DUBAI: Middle East Communications Network’s social media and creator-focused practice McCann Content Studios is expanding to Saudi Arabia.

Operating as part of creative network FP7 McCann in Riyadh, the studio aims to meet clients’ requirement for social media-led campaigns and influencer partnerships.

“Our expansion into Saudi Arabia is a strategic step forward — not just in footprint, but in how we partner with brands in a market that continues to lead regional transformation,” Tarek Miknas, CEO of FP7 McCann Middle East, North Africa and Turkiye, told Arab News.

He added: “For us, this is about more than scaling services; it’s about building enduring partnerships rooted in trust, performance and relevance — and ensuring we’re structurally set up to support the ambitions of the Kingdom’s most dynamic brands.”

The studio first launched just over a year ago and has since doubled in size, with operations across Dubai, Cairo and Beirut.

It employs more than 100 people, and its services include strategy, creative, social, influencer marketing, production, community management and performance tracking.

Fahad Mugharbel, social media director of FP7 McCann, will lead the practice from Riyadh. Before joining FP7 McCann in April, he worked at Saudi-based entertainment firm UTURN for more than four years.

The Kingdom is defined by “pace, ambition and evolving expectations,” and clients believe “content must do more,” said Amr El-Kalaawy, regional managing director of FP7 McCann Saudi Arabia.

The move is therefore a “natural next step in our growth — one that reflects both the scale of opportunity and the level of partnership our clients expect,” he added.

Going forward, McCann Content Studios plans to expand its “capabilities in data-led content performance and deepen our creator ecosystem,” El-Kalaawy said.