Eleven years on: Why Raseef22?

Eleven years have passed since Raseef22 made its online debut. At the time, Raseef22 was a pioneering Arabic language media, the first regional news site catering to a niche audience of trailblazers who owned mobile phones or computers connected to the internet and were looking for knowledge or infotainment in Arabic.

Raseef22 stood out because it was not subject to the censorship that had turned the Arabic press into a mouthpiece for governments. Within a few years, our journalism allowed us to reach 4 million monthly readers—individuals eager for knowledge in their mother tongue, the leading Arabic newspapers were dying slowly, and their circulation numbers were dismal, a reflection of the loss of interest in current events.

We distinguished ourselves by prioritizing our readers and giving them the opportunity to interact with us. We stood out by working with young, creative, and diverse individuals, who had previously been completely marginalized, and who added significant value to our content. Our accessible language and engaging design further set us apart, ensuring that information was both clear and captivating. Raseef22 spoke truth to power, and that was an innovation in itself.

During these 11 years, we have faced significant hardships and fears. Our journalists have endured intimidation, court summons, imprisonment, torture, and even worse—some have been dismembered and buried in acid.

Over these 11 years, we enjoyed a commendable journey filled with successes and challenges. Our team has grown to 35 dedicated professionals spread in 11 countries who work tirelessly to keep Raseef22 at the forefront of the media landscape. We rely on a large network of correspondents and experts spread across the Arab world.

During these years, we have also faced significant hardships and fears. Our journalists have endured intimidation, court summons, imprisonment, torture, and even worse—some have been dismembered and buried in acid. Just this week, one of our journalists received a death threat related to an investigation piece on a self enriching head of a North African state.

Three Arab countries have completely censored Raseef22 because we tackle topics that do not align with the image they wish to project. One country censors us selectively, and two kingdoms have "officially" expressed their displeasure with our coverage of human rights and media issues—topics they prefer to keep in the dark.

Beyond the intimidation from Arab governments, we now face a new kind of threat: artificial intelligence. Today, AI monitors everything we publish, including reader interactions. The Arab world has come under the absolute control of Meta, Google, and X, all of which have effectively imposed a virtual siege on our work. Anything that does not align with their opinions and policies is simply shadow banned. I can not emphasise enough the power of AI in controlling the future of journalism.

Eleven years on, we have built a distinguished identity for Raseef22. We are at the forefront of conversations on human rights, democracy, and geopolitics. We take a stand on everything happening from the Arab Gulf to the Atlantic Ocean, always siding with the underdog and the oppressed.

Eleven years on, we have built a distinguished identity for Raseef22. We are at the forefront of conversations on human rights, democracy, and geopolitics. We take a stand on everything happening from the Arab Gulf to the Atlantic Ocean, always siding with the underdog and the oppressed. Our daily task is to oppose the dehumanisation of our readers across the 22 Arab states, from the richest to the poorest.

We are able to carry on our work thanks to NasRaseef, our community of subscribers who support our work, as well as substantial support from generous organisations dedicated to advancing journalism and human rights worldwide.

We invite you to join NasRaseef to support our sustainability and help us expand and develop our production so that our region can be a safer place for our children. Despite the tyranny, wars, corruption and failures, we are a proud nation with culture, ambition and ability. We urge you to support NasRaseef as we plan for the next eleven years.