Abdullah Muhammad Al-Saleh
 | This biographical article is written like a résumé. (September 2021) |
Abdullah Muhammad Al-Saleh عبدالله محمد عبدالله الصالح | |
|---|---|
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| Born | May 8, 1985 |
| Education | Kuwait University (Bsc Businesses Administration and Marketing) London South Bank University (Msc, PhD Economic Development) |
| Occupation | |
| Website | abdullahleaks |
Abdullah Muhammad Al-Saleh (Arabic: عبدالله محمد عبدالله الصالح) is an Arab YouTuber and journalist of Kuwaiti origin who resides in London as a political refugee. He is the founder of AbdullahLeaks.com, a website that publishes documented leaks related to corruption in Kuwait. In 2022, he received an Amiri pardon from the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and all prison sentences previously issued against him were dropped.[1]
On the 30th of July 2026, Kuwaiti Minister of Interior Fahd al-Yusf al-Sabah issued an order stripping al-Saleh of his citizenship, on grounds of “violating the integrity of the Kuwaiti state, and its social, economic, and political structure”.[2]
Education
[edit]Al-Saleh studied at Kuwait English School from 1988 to 2001 and graduated IGCSE. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing at the College of Business Administration in Kuwait University from 2001 to 2005 and a master's degree in development studies at London South Bank University from 2009 to 2010. He earned a PhD in economic development[3] at London South Bank University from 2011 to 2015.[4]
Career
[edit]Al-Saleh started his career as a marketing officer at Al Imtiaz Investment group in 2005, he then worked as a marketing and VIP clients officer at ADEEM Investment and Wealth Management Company in 2007. He then also worked as a VIP clients manager Al Najat Society from 2007 to 2009.[5]
He also worked as a journalist for several magazines and newspapers in Kuwait, including Al Anba, Al Watan, and Al Jarida.[6] Al-Saleh runs a YouTube channel[7] that is themed around politics and the exposing of corruption in the Gulf states.[6]
Al-Saleh has been interviewed by various media TV channels and newspapers including BBC Arabic, Alarabiya and AlJazeera.[8] He was a member of the National Union of Kuwaiti Students from 2004 to 2005.
Refugee status
[edit]Al-Saleh received a prison sentence for criticizing the leaders and governments of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman.[9][10] He fled to the UK and sought asylum in December 2017, a request that Amnesty International supported.[11] By March 18, 2020, he was officially recognized as a political refugee.[12][13] The US Department of State's report on Kuwait's Human Rights has noted his case.[14]
In 2021, Al-Saleh stirred controversy in Kuwait by leaking what he claimed was a phone conversation with Kuwait's Deputy of Royal Protocol, Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. That same year, he also reported harassment by a member of the royal family, Mubarak Al-Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.[15][16][17]
References
[edit]- ↑ "الحكومة ترفع المرسوم إلى صاحب السمو... وتجدّد الحرص على مد يد التعاون". Alrai-media (in Arabic). 2025-10-13. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ↑ https://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/detailsamp/4326674
- ↑ "PhD paper of Al-Saleh" (PDF). lsbu.ac.uk.
- ↑ Al Saleh, A. (2016). Analysing Shariah-compliant microfinance _ a case study of Uganda (Ph.D). British Library EThOS. doi:10.18744/PUB.001782. Archived from the original on 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
- ↑ "Exiled Kuwaiti blogger defiant after conviction for opposing Qatar siege". Middle East Eye.
- 1 2 "Kuwaiti authorities sentence local journalist in absentia to five years hard labor". Committee to Protect Journalists. cpj.org. 12 January 2018.
- ↑ "Kuwait slaps blogger who insulted Saudi Arabia with five-year sentence". The New Arab. 26 December 2017.
- ↑ "#تحياتي_وأشواقي | مقابلتي في قناة BBC Arabic 121". YouTube.
- ↑ "Ten years in jail upheld". Arab Times. 25 March 2019.
- ↑ "Kuwaiti blogger sentenced to prison over UAE insults". Arabian Business magazine.
- ↑ "Amnesty International letter".
- ↑ "مجدداً.. "الجنايات": حبس المغرد عبدالله الصالح 5 سنوات". جريدة القبس (in Arabic).
- ↑ "Kuwait sentences blogger to ten-year for tweet against Saudi, UAE and Bahrain". AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA). 27 January 2018.
- ↑ "2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Kuwait". www.state.gov.
- ↑ العرب, Al Arab (24 April 2022). "شيخ كويتي يتوقّع "نهاية" بلاده في عشر سنوات |" [A Kuwaiti Sheikh predicts the 'end' of his country in ten years]. صحيفة العرب (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 7 September 2021.
- ↑ ""نهاية الكويت في غضون سنوات".. تسجيلات صوتية خطيرة لمسؤول كبير تفجر غضب الكويتيين | وطن يغرد خارج السرب". Watan (in Arabic).
- ↑ "Cease and desist letter from Al-Saleh".