The Chaotic Fun of Arabic Ghost Hunting Videos

In this world, there are two types of ghost hunters: those who perpetually crap themselves upon encountering a paranormal entity, all the while recording the experience through the shakiest camera, and then there are the Arabic ghost hunters. A different breed on their own, the Arabic ghost hunter bursts into the haunted location, camera as still as ice, scouring the land for any phantoms with many a ‘Bismillah.’

Arabic ghost hunting is a very unique kind of YouTube video. Each video follows a basic premise: the ghost hunter makes an intro, introducing themselves and explaining the location they will be exploring. The location in question is a secluded area in the middle of nowhere. Most of these videos will take place at night, leaving the only source of visibility to lie in the hunter’s flashlight. The lack of light, with the already pre-existing notion of encountering ghosts at night, just breathes ‘fear.’

Many of these videos aren’t in English, so it’s up to the viewer’s interpretation about what is being said. While the lack of English subtitles can leave many feeling isolated from the experience, the actions of the ghost hunter, like the emotion in their voice and body movement, as well as editing and inclusion of dramatic music, can heighten the tension felt in these videos.

Sprinkled throughout each video are hints and clues of paranormal activity: it could be a shadowed person slinking off into the darkness, some strange lights flash on various structures, a pair of glowing eyes peer out from the darkest corners, doors slamming, ghastly noises in the backgrounds, etc. These small pieces are just appetizers to keep viewers hooked throughout the duration of the video.

The locations where these videos are taken place are very secluded. Often being featured in deserts or deserted houses and apartment complexes, the ghost hunter enters each structure, panning the camera around the building. The decrepit, barren location that the ghost hunter enters just reeks of “oh hell naw!” vibes. Rubble lies sprinkled throughout the structures. Graffiti is etched along the walls; a reminder of the human presence that once resided there. The ghost hunter surveys his surroundings, allowing us, the viewers, a chance to take in the scenery that he too is witnessing.

The eventual payoff to the buildup of the video occurs when the ghost hunter finally confronts his target. The ghost in question is without a doubt someone in a cloak, or really shoddy makeup, but the overall low-budget of the entire thing beckons a feeling of simplicity that just can’t be offered by the more higher-budget ghost hunting videos from the west. The tension explodes to sheer adrenaline-pumping suspense as the ghost hunter chants ‘Bismillah’ over and over again. Sometimes the ghost will lunge towards the ghost hunter, other times it will just stare at him, menacingly. And yet the hunter pushes on, pursuing the entity with fervours abandon. The audience has no choice but to indulge in the utter ridiculousness and fun in the whole endeavour.