Hassan Suleiman Ahmed, 28, known as AboFlah, is an influential content creator in the Middle East and North Africa. His YouTube channel boasts nearly 49 million subscribers and over 8 billion views. Across all platforms, he commands a following of more than 70 million people.

Ahmed was born in Kuwait to a Somali family. He had to drop out of university due to financial difficulties. In 2016, Ahmed launched his YouTube channel, primarily posting gaming videos. His father initially opposed this endeavor, viewing YouTube as a "devil's playground" and even threatened to disown him, despite the channel having already reached half a million subscribers. It was his mother's persuasion that ultimately allowed him to continue his work.

Hassan Suleiman Ahmed, 28, owner of the AboFlah YouTube channel with 49 million followers. *Photo: National*

Ahmed's channel content focuses on three areas: game commentary, prize challenges, and life vlogs. What significantly draws his large following is his unique approach of linking channel development milestones to humanitarian projects.

In June 2020, upon reaching 5 million subscribers, he contributed and rallied the community to build a mosque valued at 26,000 USD, in addition to spending 30,000 USD on digging wells in Mali. Later that year, through a three-hour livestream, he raised 165,000 USD to fund 1,200 eye surgeries in Africa. In early 2021, he donated 100,000 USD to construct homes for Syrian refugees and subsequently raised 155,000 USD in six hours to establish a clinic serving 10,000 people in Yemen.

A highlight of Ahmed's activities was the "Help Them Have a Warmer Winter" campaign in January 2022. Setting a goal to raise 10 million USD to support refugees, Ahmed confined himself to a glass room at the base of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, vowing not to leave until the target was met.

For 12 days and nights, he lived and livestreamed from the glass enclosure. On 18/1/2022, Ahmed emerged with a total of 11 million USD raised. This event earned him two Guinness World Records: the longest live stream (268 hours and 14 minutes) and the charity livestream with the highest concurrent viewers (698,000 people). His image was later projected onto the Burj Khalifa.

Hassan Suleiman Ahmed set two Guinness World Records with his 2022 fundraising campaign. *Photo: National*

Ahmed also consistently combines sports with charity. He initiated the "Match for Hope" football tournament starting in 2024, which has since generated 8.8 million USD. In February 2025, he co-captained a team with fellow YouTuber IShowSpeed in a match in Qatar, bringing in over 10 million USD. His team is scheduled to play again on 30/1 to raise funds for global education projects.

Speaking to The National, Ahmed stated that while he achieved high grades in school, he lacked clear professional goals. "Initially, I started YouTube simply to help my family. The most wonderful thing is being able to provide my parents with everything they need," he said.

By Bao Nhien (Source: AboFlah/ National)