When was the last time you went coffin dancing in Ghana? Or sampled the street food of Pakistan? Or witnessed what life is like first-hand in North Korea? Or visited the coldest town on earth? For us it was last week, and we did it all without a PCR test or stepping foot on a plane. No, we haven’t invented a teleportation machine, instead we spent an afternoon on the sofa in front of our smart TV watching the endearing adventures of Joe HaTTab on YouTube.
We were not the only ones. In the half-decade that the Jordanian-born Saudi-raised documentary filmmaker launched his YouTube channel, Hattab has crisscrossed the globe creating hundreds of exquisitely-produced, travel-based videos with a defined aesthetic and informative level of storytelling that is both engaging and engulfing. But don’t take our word for it. Since 2016 he has amassed more than nine million subscribers on YouTube, with his videos having been watched more than a billion times. And that is on YouTube alone. Add in the additional 10 million followers on Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook and the stats are simply staggering.
Born in Jordan and raised in Saudi Arabia, Jehad Hattab actually did what so many of us so often threaten to do—turn his passion into his career. With a constant interest in video editing and storytelling, Hattab noticed that there was a lack of (and rising demand for) quality ‘By Arabs For Arabs’ storytelling, especially with the growing popularity of YouTube in the Kingdom.
This encouraged Hattab to take that much-feared leap into the dark, trading in his ‘day job’ to become a full-time YouTuber once his videos efforts began to gain traction online building both a loyal and engaged fanbase and an impressive string of commercial partners including Emirates, Sony and Fortnite.
Content is king
Authenticity is vital to Hattab’s work. This is not just true for the man making it, but also for the audience that is watching it. Over the years we have seen him laugh, learn and deal with loss through a lens of truthfulness that is all-too-rare in a digital world that is overexposed to filters and ‘Living Best Life’ facades. For Hattab it is not about showing off, it is about sharing his experiences—warts and all—with his audience so that they not only feel that they are coming along with him, but they are learning through him.
“The audience always appreciates it when you go that one extra mile in the video,” Hattab says. “When I’m coming up with ideas I always try to create stories that are not just taking the easiest options. You learn more from challenging yourself, and honestly, those are the ones that I enjoy the most when filming and editing.”
Witnessing the evolution of Hattab from what is essentially a budding travel vlogger into a respected travel journalist has been a thrilling one. The more experience he has gained, the bolder his desire to push the storytelling narrative has developed. In one of his videos, the ‘Shipbreakers of Bangladesh’, Hattab visits a rarely accessed coastal city where the sole industry is to deconstruct and dismantle old cargo ships, a “shipping cemetery” as he describes it rather poetically.
During the video he is filmed quickly walking through the site in which no one has previous been given access to, he narrates the gravitas of what he is witnessing and the audience is able to share the almost unseen experience with him. It is informative, exciting and inspiring—gonzo travel journalism at its best.
With more than one billion views across his YouTube channel alone, Hattab reveals that a big part of the growing popularity is the continually relatable and ‘evergreen’ aspect of the content he creates—an example of which would be his hugely popular series of video that feature some unusual global stories which continually prove to be favourites with his audience (at time of publishing his vlogs ‘Giants of Egypt’ and ‘The World’s Longest Legs’ have 22 and 7 million views, respectively).
“I think it is important to create content that is as interesting now as it will be in five years’ time,” he says, “particularly when it comes to something like travelling because most people don’t have the ability to jump on a plane and visit places constantly and see things that
are ‘on trend’ right at that moment.”
Giving back
As anyone who has ever travelled before knows, one of the greatest joys the experience brings is actually that feeling of returning home. The sense of accomplishment and the safeguard of your home environment is something that Hattab notices he misses the most the longer he is away. “I’ve always loved the feedback that I get from people when they watch my content—especially if I feel that it has helped change someone’s perspective on a topic,” he says, “but above everything, the most important things in my life are not the adventures, they are my family, my faith, and that sense of giving back to the community.”
That sense of family and community has always been a central value to the people of Saudi, and despite the fact that Hattab’s adventures see him travelling up to 200 days per year, that core grounding from his upbringing still remains a strong part of who he is and what he wants to help showcase to the world about Saudi culture, particularly when it comes to the exciting new ‘creative’ generation that has been empowered by Vision 2030.
“I was born and raised in Saudi, and I am so grateful for everything they have done for me and the support I receive,” he says. “We are seeing a young generation of people in Saudi that are so creative, ambitious, and they are really good at everything they do. They work like a family supporting each other which need this the most in our Arabs countries.”
Time is a luxury
It is little surprise that of all of the countries that Hattab has visited, he finds a close affinity with Japan. He has made dozens of videos during his visits there ranging from the fun to the bizarre including: “We rented a girlfriend in Japan” (3 million views); “A tour of Tokyo capsule hotels” (7 million views); “Japanese Vending Machine Restaurant” (4.3 million views); and a rather helpful learner called “9 things NOT to do in Japan”(5.5 million views). As cultures the similarities between Japanese and Saudi Arabian seem almost polar opposite, which, for someone like Hattab, makes for such interesting content.
“I love how organized they are in Japan,” he says. “But I think what draws me to the country so much—and why I would like to return—is the spirit of the hard work that they have in the culture.” That sense of hard work and making the most of the time we have is one of the lessons that has struck a chord with Hattab and stayed with him beyond his visits to the Far East.
“Travelling all over and creating videos may look like great fun—and it is—but there is a lot of hard work that goes into it,” he says. “I believe in giving myself a deadline as motivation to keep pushing and consistency is the key to success especially in the world of social media.”
From the time spent with Hattab in late November—before he has to fly off to his next adventure in South America—is easy to see that self-discipline and a dedication to the standards that he has set are also key to his success. He is not considered the Arab world’s leading travel vlogger by chance. “I keep pushing and I work hard to define my priorities. Time is a very precious thing, and so simple things like surrounding yourself with the best team helps you get organized and make the most of the time that you have.”
“It is easy to lose track of time, especially when you don’t realizing yet what it is that you are working towards, or what you love the most,” he explains. “It is never too late. I was 26 years old when I finally discovered what it was that really inspired me, but I also found great importance in the journey of self-discovery, to understand what it is that you are really passionate about. Then when you find it, nothing can stop you.”
And what was it for you? Asks Esquire.
“I enjoy creating content,” Hattab says simply. “Ultimately, that is what drives me most. I like to go out and find stories from different areas around the world. When you are free and money secured, then the world is yours to explore.” For Hattab, that is what real freedom is.
Words Matthew Baxter-Priest / Photography Norbert Kniat / Stylist Seher Khan / Production Jesse Vora / Location Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah, Al Wadi Desert
Main image credits:
Suede jacket by Polo Ralph Lauren
Roll neck sweater by Mr. Porter
Jacquard trousers by South2 West8
Watch: Luminor ChronoPAM01109, by Panerai
