RIYADH — The Holy Month of Ramadan is going to be different this year for Saudis as everyone is staying at home. Embracing the new lifestyle changes, TikTok, the leading destination for short-form videos, acknowledges that while Saudis are physically distanced, they are socially together and are always creating a sense of bonding, special connection and appreciation during this sacred month.

TikTok wants to help foster this further by launching an in-app challenge, starting May 10, with influential Saudi chefs to prepare special meals at home under the hashtag ( #cookfromhome)

The current health situation has shifted people’s lifestyles and TikTok has seen many of them turn to the app to access the right information about the current situation, learn new skills and also for entertainment purposes.

Therefore, TikTok is committed to bringing people together through new challenges and initiatives that can help Saudis stay positive and happy at home.

Among the Saudi rituals during Ramadan, besides fostering the feeling of humility, generosity and thankfulness, is to enjoy traditional homemade foods with the added comfort of family.

Drawing on these local habits, TikTok is partnering with Saudi influencer foodie Vlogger, Hisham Baeshen (@misho_baeshen) and Amal Al Turk (@turkishwithamal) who is famous for her easy to-do recipes, to share with their followers the best recipes that Saudis can enjoy preparing for either Iftar or Suhoor.

As more Saudis are looking for food recipes online, TikTok community in the Kingdom is invited to follow the chefs, learn their recipes and engage with them by sharing the meals they create, using the #cookfromhome hashtag.

Commenting on the new challenge, Baeshen said:” We are all aware of the difficult times we are facing and we are all in this together. I invite all my fellow Saudis to invest their time in cooking as it is a good source of inspiration and family bonding during the Holy Month of Ramadan.”

As for Al Turk, she emphasized the importance of connection during Ramadan and said: “Connecting with our family members during this month is what makes Ramadan special. Cooking food together is a great way to strengthen the connection and share special moments with our loved ones.”

Contributing to the efforts of encouraging everyone to stay at home while maintaining the application’s spirit of entertainment and joy, TikTok collaborated with a number of leading media groups including Dubai Media, Al Adl Group, Synergy and MBC, to include Ramadan drama content on the app.

hese partnerships allow the users to view short clips of the holy month’s popular series including Amir Karar’s “Al Ikhtyar”, Youssef El Sherief’s “The End”, Yasser Galal’s “El Fetewah” and Yassmin Sabry’s “Forsa Tanya”, “Shagaf”, “Lucky number 7”, “Gargaasha” and “Bint Soghan”, as well as sneak peaks of behind the scenes.

By this, TikTok contributes to spreading positive vibes of the celebrations of Ramadan, elevating the spirits, especially during these tough times. To further engage the users in entertainment-driven content while staying at home, TikTok will also launch a challenge for each exclusive series encouraging creative and richer content creation experience. — SG