Fil-Palestinian vlogger making online buzz with focus on Pinoy content

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – He has Filipino blood, yet he would easily pass for an Arab. Thirty-year-old Hadee Alviar Abu Zahra is unique, and his signature style is making a mark on social media as a content creator highlighting the Filipino way.

Abu Zahra, better known as "Milksheikh Pinoy," currently has over 739,000 followers on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook combined.

He discovered that living a mixed culture life—finding oneself in between two cultures and identities—is something that he can share with others.

"Honestly, my story is a mix of unexpected turns, quiet battles, and a lot of rebuilding. I grew up between two cultures, always trying to understand where I fit," said Abu Zahra, a graduate of political science and mass communication.

Storyteller

"Over time, I found myself becoming a storyteller for people like me—Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), mixed-culture kids; anyone trying to survive quietly while building something meaningful. My platforms became a space for humor, healing, representation, and connection," added Abu Zahra.

Abu Zahra, who once told a local media he "wasn't 'Arab enough' for the Arabs, and I wasn't 'Filipino enough' for the Filipinos," said "that kind of in-between space can be really lonely."

"I lost my parents young, and that shaped me more than anything. It taught me how to stand on my own, how to fight for my place, and how to turn pain into purpose. I was born and raised in Dubai, so my whole life has been here—the fast pace, the opportunities, the mix of cultures," Abu Zahra said.

Courtesy: Hadee Alviar Abu Zahra

Even though he's half-Filipino by blood as his mother was Filipina, "I never actually grew up in the Philippines, or even speaking Tagalog at first."

"Most of what I know about my Filipino side came from stories, community, and the people around me."

His father was Palestinian.

His mother passed on when he was 11 years old, and his father, later on.

"Growing up I had a very Pinoy background. My upbringing was very Pinoy. But when she passed away, I had to relearn a new identity and become more Arab, being born and raised in Dubai," Abu Zahra said.

"I barely spoke any Tagalog in college and high school. But when I graduated, I started tapping into the community again, until eventually I learned how to speak the language."

'Still learning'

Today, Abu Zahra believes he is "still learning, still growing, still building."

"My journey isn't perfect, but it's honest. And everything I've gone through reminds me of one thing: you can start again at any point, and you can create a life that feels like yours—no matter how many times you had to begin from zero," he said.

Over time, he added, "what I thought was a complicated identity became my biggest strength."

"It's the reason I connect with people, the reason my content carries both humor and heart, and the reason I push myself to create spaces for others who are also navigating their own journey." 

Community work

Abu Zahra started doing community work at the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai, where he coordinated with OFW groups and helped organized events.

He later became one of the key figures behind a popular, community-based content platform that highlighted the lives of Filipinos in the UAE. The role fueled his passion for representing the unspoken stories of OFWs.

Eventually, Abu Zahra went on his own, creating "Milksheikh Pinoy" and entering the world of social media content creation.

There are many more like Abu Zahra in the UAE. Mixed-culture, they are usually born of Filipina and Arab, Indian, Pakistani, or European fathers. — VDV, GMA Integrated News