Saudi ‘Masked Youth Movement’ criticises lack of freedom in kingdom

A series of videos featuring masked individuals expressing dissatisfaction with the standard of living in Saudi Arabia and calling for the fall of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has ignited an intense debate on social media this week.

The videos, posted by young men whose faces and eyes are covered and voices often changed, draw attention to what they say are deteriorating living conditions and a lack of economic opportunity amid state spending on lavish entertainment events and megaprojects.

They allege growing unrest within the kingdom and call for the overthrow of the crown prince.

Middle East Eye has not independently verified the videos.

The clips have been posted primarily on anonymous accounts on TikTok, and have been reshared across multiple social media platforms, sparking both condemnation and praise.

“Today we witness a powerful movement led by the free youth of our nation, courageously raising their voices for legitimate rights: freedom & the right to determine our own fate,” said one user.

Others said the videos were a result of growing domestic frustration, and said the masked figures were speaking for suppressed voices within the kingdom. 

“In a land where voices are forbidden, the masked man emerges as an icon of rejection… The Saudi masked man is not an individual, but a moment of dignity… Behind the mask is another homeland yet to be born,” one user expressed.

Translation: The voice of the Arab youth will not be silenced. The youth love the truth and do not love falsehood. I fight every stubborn tyrant And separation kills me, without a fight. #MaskedYouthMovement #Friday #SupportPilgrimsWithWater

Another said the videos “place the Saudi regime on the brink of a volcano” while others invited people to join the movement in order “to support the oppressed and achieve the demands of the people (and) to overthrow the tyrant who has turned the country into a private farm, ruled by a corrupt gang that humiliates the people, strips them of their rights, and uses military institutions and security agencies to … insult their dignity.”

Amid the growing discourse, others launched the hashtag #خونة_الوطن (“#KingdomTraitors”), accusing the individuals in the videos of being “foreign agitators” or exiled dissidents seeking to destabilise Saudi Arabian society from abroad.

Some social media users also expressed concern for the safety of those posting videos.

The detention of people for social media posts – including those from anonymous accounts – has become a routine practice since bin Salman became crown prince in 2017.

Rights groups say the kingdom’s cybercrime and antiterror laws have been broadly applied to suppress critics, who have been handed lengthy prision sentences and travel bans for social media activity.

‘Free Masked Men Movement’

Since the publication of the first video earlier this week, new videos have emerged voicing solidarity with the masked individual, as well as others who have criticised the Saudi leadership. 

A message across many of the clips is the suppression of freedoms and the view that public spending on concerts, festivals, nightclubs and megaprojects – hallmarks of the crown prince’s ambitious Vision 2030 programme – is occurring at the expense of basic services and the public economy.

“We know and are certain that there are many free people who want a peaceful change in the country from the tyranny and oppression of the al-Saud family, headed by Mohammed bin Salman, who has oppressed the people with their money and provoked them with their beliefs and their Islam and deluded them with his illusory projects whose time has passed and were not implemented,” said one person in a video.

A few of the figures also slammed what they perceived as moral decay due to “degrading phenomena” like public dancing promoted under the programme, and framed their calls to action as a defence of the two holiest sites in Islam, which are located in the kingdom. 

The videos threaten mass uprising unless the crown prince changes his course.

“We will take to the streets with demonstrations and marches if you continue imprisoning people,” said one man in a video.

Another was more direct: “This message directly to Mohammed bin Salman: your fall will be at the hands of your people.”

Middle East Eye has reached out to the accounts posting these videos. One account has declined to comment.