Alexia Tashbaeva, a Belgian content creator residing in Saudi Arabia, has said she chose to remain in the Kingdom despite appeals from her family to return to Belgium following recent attacks on Saudi airports.
In a video posted on TikTok, Tashbaeva noted that she generally avoids discussing politics on social media but wanted to express solidarity with the country.
“My family asked me to stay away from Saudi Arabia due to the current situation, but I feel like it would be very unfair to do so because even though I am not Saudi and I did not grow up here, I feel like Saudi Arabia has become my home,” she said. “I do not see myself going back to my country.”
Tashbaeva stated that she had been monitoring French-language Western news reports and maintained that she feels safer in Saudi Arabia than in Belgium. She highlighted unrest in her home country, where she said citizens are angry with the government and dissatisfied with economic conditions.
Belgium has recently witnessed public unrest, with police reporting that roughly 30,000 people took part in a national strike against austerity measures in Brussels on Oct. 9, leading to clashes between hundreds of youths and riot police. Earlier demonstrations in Liege resulted in violence and approximately 200 arrests.
Addressing Saudi governance, Tashbaeva said citizens trust their leadership and added: “The Saudi government always cares about their people and their best interests. And through every challenge, my heart stands with this country and its people. May Allah always protect Saudi Arabia.”
Her remarks follow similar statements of support from local figures following increased aggression from Yemen's Houthi militia. Saudi beauty entrepreneur Yara Alnamlah and designer Alanoud Badr have also publicly backed the country, with Badr describing Saudi Arabia as resilient against crises.
