Young American woman and her Saudi ‘obsession’ videos

Corissa Chantelle has become a well-known American girl amongst Saudis. Every Thursday, the 22-year-old broadcasts a new video on her YouTube channel in which she talks about Saudi Arabia, a country she has not been to. She tells stories about her obsession with Saudi culture and traditions, and narrates the many words and expressions from the local Saudi dialect she has memorized.

She says her channel, which has more than 2.8 million viewers, was created after she wanted to learn,
“Everything about Saudi Arabia after being told that it was impossible for me, as woman, to visit it. When I heard this, I asked myself: why not? And then I decided to meet Saudi men and women from different regions and cities in the kingdom.”

She told Al Arabiya.net that her passion to learn Arabic prompted her to learn about Arab customs and traditions, food and local songs. Her interest in all things Arab began when she met an Arab female student who introduced her to her community.

Chantelle has since learned the Saudi card game Baloot and plays it with friends online. “They introduced me to the Kamelna website and I started spending time on it to practice,” she says.

“I also subscribe to an Arab TV cable package and I watch the football games of my favorite team, Al-Ettihad. My friends from Riyadh told me that Al-Hilal is also a good team and is known to be Al-Ettihad's archrival,” she says.

In Chantelle’s closet one can also find Arab dresses. “One friend sent me an abaya, which I wore on one of my shows,” she says. She listens to Saudi music and is fond of “No love, No broken heart” a song by Rached Majed. Also, she has learned many Arabic words by watching famous TV comedy series, “Tach ma Tach.”


Chantelle has received many invitations from her viewers in Saudi Arabia and is upset that women are not allowed into the kingdom unless accompanied by a mahram (a male guardian from the immediate family). As a 22-year-old young woman, she must come with her father or a close male family member. Since no one wants to accompany her, she is trying to figure the matter out.