TikTok has named two Arab creators – Dubai-based food creator Ramy Soli and Riyadh-based culture shaper Yasmeen Al Shafai – to its global Discover List 2026, underlining how MENA’s creator economy is moving from “emerging” to “exporting” influence on a platform with more than one billion users worldwide.
The 2026 Discover List spotlights 50 creators to watch this year across five categories: Educators, Foodies, Icons, Innovators and Originators. Within that group, Soli is featured under the Foodies category, while Al Shafai is recognised as an Icon, putting UAE and Saudi voices alongside creators from the U.S., Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America.
Who are the two featured Arab creators?
Ramy Soli – based in Dubai – is highlighted in the Foodies category for culinary content that blends recipes with culture and shared experiences rather than pure “how‑to” cooking. His videos tap into the global #FoodTok dynamic, where personality-led storytelling and discoverable formats (quick cuts, strong hooks, clear payoffs) drive both engagement and shareability across borders.
Yasmeen Al Shafai from Riyadh is listed under Icons, a category reserved for creators who shape culture, build large communities and set trends on and beyond TikTok. Icons tend to operate as multi-vertical brands – spanning fashion, lifestyle, conversation and advocacy – and increasingly act as strategic partners for advertisers looking for long-term equity rather than one-off campaign spikes.
For brands in the region, both profiles demonstrate different but complementary creator playbooks: Soli as a bridge between food, culture and tourism; Al Shafai as a culture-first storyteller with potential to anchor platform-wide or cross-market brand narratives.
How TikTok’s Discover List works
TikTok describes the Discover List as a “global showcase of 50 creators to watch” selected through a community-driven nomination process by its global teams. Creators are evaluated on their impact over roughly six months, using levers such as volume of video creation, views, account growth, likes, comments, follower interactions and content that sparks wider conversation.
The 2026 edition is the sixth iteration of the programme and sits alongside other creator-focused initiatives on the platform. Beyond the visibility of the list itself, selected creators typically gain access to additional training, product education and closer support from TikTok’s teams – benefits that can translate into more sophisticated branded content, better measurement and stronger campaign execution for advertisers who partner with them.
“Today we are thrilled to unveil The Discover List 2026 — a highlight of 50 creators to watch from around the world,” says James Stafford, Global Head of Content Operations at TikTok. “From the Educators who are inspiring their communities to learn something new, to the Originators who share their businesses with global audiences on TikTok, we are proud to be a space where new talent can be discovered and authenticity and creativity can thrive.”
TikTok positions itself as a “springboard for discovery,” and that proposition now clearly includes regional creator economies. In MENA – and particularly in GCC markets like the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar – TikTok has been leaning into creator partnerships, training and ecosystem-building, including initiatives showcased at Web Summit Qatar to support global creative talent and drive content output and consumption.
