Loay Alshareef

Alshareef is a Saudi born, was born and raised in Jeddah, in a deeply religious household, to an Egyptian father and a Saudi mother.^[1] He grew up thinking that God wanted him to hate Jews and Christians.^[2]

Alshareef first met a Jew in 2010 when he traveled to Paris to study French, and was placed with a Yemenite Jewish host family.^[2] He was apprehensive when he saw a Star of David in the house and realized they were Jewish, at first asking the study abroad program to move him to a different house. He changed his mind after getting to know his hosts and having meals with them, learning about Judaism and Jewish holidays. When he returned to Saudi Arabia, his mindset had been permanently changed, and he became an advocate for peace and understanding between Muslims and Jews.^[3]

He started traveling to the United Arab Emirates in 2016, and has lived in Abu Dhabi since 2020.^[1] He praises the Abraham Accords and other steps taken by the UAE's government in recent years to improve openness and acceptance of different cultures.^[1] In the UAE, he and other influencers have held interfaith gatherings and meals for both Jewish and Muslim holidays. His work on dialogue has been praised by Chief Rabbi of the UAE Levi Duchman and Rabbi Yehuda Sarna.^[1]

During the Gaza war, Alshareef acknowledged that the war has made the possibility of peace more remote, but said that the war can end immediately if Hamas lays down their weapons and releases the hostages.^[3] He criticized protests against Israel in Western countries, saying the average American doesn't understand the conflict and has an unrealistic view of Hamas.^[2][4]