How Gen Z Model Dina Al-Khudari Is Playing A Role In Shaping The Future Of Saudi Arabia
The social-media sensation is using her online clout to promote inclusivity and self-acceptance with her fans
I started my interview with Dina Al-Khudari with no preconceived notions, and over the course of the conversation, I realised that we were both born on the same day – only 18 years apart. That fact crystallised in my mind just how transformative and impactful those intervening years have had on shaping the mindset of the Zoomer generation.
In the past, young, iconic models in-the-making had circuitous routes to fame. Kate Moss was discovered by coincidence at the JFK airport in New York, model Christy Turlington was spotted while horseback riding and Natalia Vodianova was selling fruit goods in a Russian street market when a photographer snapped her photo and put her on the road to superstar model status.
Today the path to stardom is much more streamlined. Social media is the principal way models are now discovered, and Dina is the perfect example of this. She started sharing her daily routines with followers on Instagram, then moved to TikTok in 2020, during the COVID pandemic. “My videos went viral on TikTok because they are natural and spontaneous, unlike what is published on Instagram, for example,” says Dina who, since then, has racked up more than half a million followers on the platform.
“I love to interact with followers and I like to be myself with them, and I think that is what they want me to show,” recounts Dina about her relationship with her online community. She even lets them deal with any negative comments that might crop up.
“When a negative comment appears on my page, I find that followers respond to it, and I don’t need to interact with it. I used to get upset and cry at people’s comments on the shape of my teeth or on my skinny body, which are things I can’t control. But I learned to love myself as I am without having to change my looks,” says the ingénue.
It seems that the idea of self-love, accepting others despite their differences, and coexisting with these differences are among the ideas that Dina’s generation adopts from the get-go. “I think we should let each person represent themselves, none of us have a say in [the] choices of others as long as they do no harm to anyone. We should not judge others based on their choices or their appearance,” she underlines.
Dina grew up in Saudi in a family of Palestinian heritage. “I’ve never visited Palestine, but my parents always talked to me about it as our home, and as I got older I had a lot of questions about it, and my love for it grew with me,” she tells us. “I love Saudi, it will always be my home that I grew up, but I enjoy making content about Palestine and teaching people about the culture. I like showing this part of me rather than hiding it.”
She also tells us that she is very close to her three brothers and sisters, sharing that they prefer to spend their free time together as a family rather than each isolated in their own rooms. In fact, Dina completely relies on her older sister Zeina to manage her business, and has a strong relationship with her younger brother as well. She also appears with her sister Ghina (who has Down Syndrome) on her TikTok feed, which her followers responded to positively. “Ghina appeared on my page for the first time coincidentally. She loves to dance and interact with cameras, and followers have loved her so much and are constantly asking for her. You never know, she might turn into an influencer in the future,” Dina predicts.
Although Dina has just turned 18, she has already set out a clear plan for her future, which, aside from modelling, is to establish her own fashion line. “I think my generation is very keen on securing [its] future at an early age, a thing that adults don’t tend to understand. When I discuss my ideas and plans for the future with my mother, she tells me that it’s still early,” Dina laughs, adding that she believes that starting a business at a young age can give her more freedom as she gets older. “I love the world of fashion a lot,” she stresses. “My mother told me about Princess Diana’s style, where I find a lot of great inspiration.”
It is said that exceptional beginnings lead to an exceptional life. Having already piqued the interest of local fashion designers and make-up artists in Saudi with her elfin features, killer brows and distinctive cleft chin, a cover shoot for Harper’s Bazaar Saudi has now followed. It can only bode well for a future full of memorable achievements for the fledgling starlet.
Photography by Amer Mohamad. Styling by Nour Bou Ezz.
Editor in Chief: Olivia Phillips. Arabic Editor: Khulood Ahmed. Art Director: Oscar Yanez. Fashion Director: Anna Castan. Stylist: Nour Bou Ezz. Hair: Ania Poniatowska at MMG. Make-Up: Manu Losada. Photographer’s Assistant: Jeyendran Jeyachandran. Stylist’s Assistants: Cristina Burca and Imogene Legrand. Bubble Wrangler: Lillia Galanina at EsArte Group.
From Harper’s Bazaar Saudi’s Summer 2022 issue