Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest Internet markets not only regionally but also globally. There are 190 million video views on YouTube in Saudi per day.

Twitter and YouTube have become so relevant to the public discourse in Saudi Arabia that there is now a bi-weekly YouTube show solely dedicated to what Saudi users of Twitter are talking about.

In their pursuit to be where the young consum­ers are, brands have long identified social media as a crucial place to establish a presence. Where else will you find huge numbers of youngsters highly active and engaged?

Fahad Albutairi never expected a career in broadcast or comedy, and he certainly didn’t expect to emerge as a YouTube star known to millions.

Last week’s third ArabNet conference for digital entrepreneurs in the MENA region was, by the standard of these things, a modest affair.