<ul class="summary-list"><li>The United Arab Emirates experienced torrential rainfall and flash floods, beginning late Monday.</li><li>Videos appear to show planes taxiing down flooded runways at Dubai International Airport. </li></ul>Torrential rainfall pummeled the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-laser-beam-shooting-drones-shock-rain-from-the-sky-2021-7">United Arab Emirates</a> this week, resulting in flash floods that caused air travel chaos, closed schools, and deluged homes.The rain began late Monday, flooding the UAE with more than half a foot (6.26 inches) of water in 24 hours, according to the Dubai Meteorological Office and cited by <a target="_blank" href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/dubai-flooding-heavy-rainfall/story?id=109321601&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn">ABC News</a>. That is more than two years' worth of rain in one day, the outlet noted.There are claims that cloud seeding may have played a role in the flash floods. The practice sees planes inject clouds with chemicals that can increase rainfall.One fatality was reported by police at the time of writing on Wednesday: A 70-year-old man died in Ras al-Khaimah when his vehicle was swept away in the flooding.Flooding also occurred in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. In Oman, 19 people died in flash floods, according to local media.<div type="image" title="Dubai road flooding" height="1333" width="1777" msid="109374524" hostid="261" sizebytes="433068"></div>Dubai International Airport — recently named the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/dubai-international-airport-most-luxurious-airport-in-world-study-8603681">most luxurious airport</a> in the world — said planes were diverted. Some services now appear to have restarted.<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/gunsnrosesgirl3/status/1780307713592897542">Unverified videos</a> on social media appeared to show heavily flooded tarmac, with large passenger airplanes creating waves and taxiing through several feet of water.The airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider about the videos.<div type="image" title="Vehicles drive on a flooded road during torrential rain in the Gulf Emirate of Dubai on April 16, 2024." height="683" width="1024" msid="109361170" hostid="261"></div>"We advise you NOT to come to the airport, unless absolutely necessary," an airport spokesperson <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/DXB/status/1780461316605456559">wrote on X</a> on Wednesday.They added that planes continue to be delayed and diverted.An unnamed couple told the AP that the situation at the airport is "absolute carnage," with some passengers sleeping there or at the Metro station.<div type="image" title="car flood" height="1333" width="2000" msid="109374526" hostid="261" sizebytes="129776"></div>Dubai recieved more than 5.6 inches of rain by Tuesday evening, around the amount it typically gets in a year and a half, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://news.sky.com/story/carnage-at-dubai-airport-as-uae-hit-by-heaviest-rainfall-in-75-years-13116978">Sky News.</a>It marks its heaviest rainfall in 75 years, according to a WAM news agency cited by Sky News.In a post shared on X, the UAE's National Centre of Meteorology showed the regions that have been most affected.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">كميات الأمطار التراكمية للحالة الجوية على الدولة من الأحد 14 إلى صباح الأربعاء 17 أبريل 2024 Total Cumulative rainfall for the weather situation from Sunday, April 14 to Wednesday morning, April 17, 2024. <a href="https://t.co/LyM6uqygs5">pic.twitter.com/LyM6uqygs5</a>— المركز الوطني للأرصاد (@ncmuae) <a href="https://twitter.com/ncmuae/status/1780509120333750666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <h2>The UAE may have been playing rainmaker by cloud seeding</h2>While images of extreme flooding can show the consequences of the climate crisis, this particular event may have been worsened by a direct attempt to play <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-expanding-weather-modification-program-artificial-rain-snow-2025-2020-12">rainmaker</a> — literally.To address water scarcity in the typically dry country, the UAE started using a practice referred to as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/controlling-weather-in-future-2018-5">cloud seeding</a> in the 90s and early 2000s.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dri.edu/cloud-seeding-program/what-is-cloud-seeding/">Cloud seeding</a> is a method designed to increase the amount of water that falls from a cloud. It involves identifying suitable clouds and then using aircraft or ground-based generators to introduce a chemical agent that facilitates the production of snowflakes.Cloud seeding has been used in countries worldwide, including in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/story/cloud-seeding-takes-flight-in-western-us-76737400">western US states</a> dealing with drought, like California, Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, and Texas.<div type="image" title="Vehicles are stranded on a flooded street following torrential rain in the Gulf Emirate of Dubai on April 16, 2024." height="683" width="1024" msid="109361171" hostid="261"></div>The practice has long been controversial, with critics dismissing it as an attempt to "play God" or being potentially harmful to the environment or public health. Scientists have not documented the harmful impacts of cloud seeding, and <a target="_blank" href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/can-cloud-seeding-help-quench-the-thirst-of-the-u.s.-west">recent studies</a> have suggested that the practice works.Ahmed Habib, a specialist meteorologist, told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-16/dubai-grinds-to-standstill-as-cloud-seeding-worsens-flooding">Bloomberg</a> that the UAE's cloud seeding operations contributed directly to the heavy rainfall that fell this week.<div type="image" title="vehicle dubai" height="1332" width="1776" msid="109374527" hostid="261" sizebytes="111964"></div>Habib told the outlet that two planes conducted cloud seeding operations on Monday and Tuesday and that seven seeding missions had been carried out in two days.Flight-tracking data analyzed by the AP suggested that an aircraft affiliated with the UAE's cloud-seeding project flew around the country Sunday."For any cloud that's suitable over the UAE you make the operation," Habib told Bloomberg.<div type="image" title="A submerged duty machine is seen after heavy rain in United Arab Emirates on April 16, 2024." height="2867" width="3693" msid="109361172" hostid="261"></div>The UAE's weather bureau said no cloud seeding had taken place during Tuesday's rain, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2024/04/16/live-weather-rain-dubai/">National News. </a>It did not immediately respond to a request by BI for comment.Chris England, a weather producer at Sky News, said he doesn't believe cloud seeing to be a reason behind the floods as evidence of it working is "pretty slim at best."Despite warning citizens to remain home during the heavy rain, the UAE government's press office said they were "rains of goodness," as the country has dealt with a rise in <a target="_blank" href="https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2023/07/20/UAE-doctors-say-serious-cases-of-heat-stroke-on-the-rise-amid-soaring-temperatures">heat-related illnesses and deaths</a> that some hope can be alleviated by an increase in rainfall.Schools across the UAE continued to be closed on Wednesday, and employees are working from home, according to the Sky News report.

Photos show Dubai overwhelmed by torrential rain &mdash; and may expose the downsides of trying to control the weather

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A historic flood brought the most rain in 75 years to the United Arab Emirates.</li><li>Over 800 flights have been canceled at Dubai International Airport since Tuesday.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-emirates-staff-say-cabin-crew-monitored-weight-police-2022-1">Emirates flight attendants</a> in Dubai were told to still report for duty while a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-dubai-airport-flash-floods-show-downsides-controlling-the-weather-2024-4">flood</a> left much of the city's airport underwater.A memo sent to the airline's cabin crew was obtained by the "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/aflyguyslounge/posts/pfbid0agg4VDWZ5ywU2GkkMTe5CRRSzaKeZj3iR1PXS68J4a7L8hEPdM24GEF2PMrsCP1wl">A Fly Guy's Cabin Crew Lounge</a>," a Facebook page where aviation industry staff share gossip and stories.It encouraged staff to make their way to the airport despite the government telling people to stay at home."We are operating our flights safely, and it's important our operations carry on for the sake of our customers," the email reportedly read.It added: "If you are rostered for duty, please continue to make your way safely to work."Aviation news site <a target="_blank" href="https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2024/04/17/emirates-told-cabin-crew-to-struggle-through-flood-waters-to-report-for-flights-while-stay-at-home-notice-was-in-force/">Paddle Your Own Kanoo first reported the memo </a>as posted on Facebook.Emirates did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.Videos and pictures shared by the Facebook page, which has over one million followers, appear to show Emirates cabin crew struggling through the flood waters.Other clips showed cabin crew covering themselves with plastic bags to protect their uniforms from the rain.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A group of Emirates cabin crew saving themselves and their uniform during historic Dubai rain/flood. Credit : LIONE$$ <a href="https://twitter.com/The_Lioness13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@The_Lioness13</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dubai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dubai</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dubaifloods?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dubaifloods</a> <a href="https://t.co/eK7WjDURg9">pic.twitter.com/eK7WjDURg9</a>— FL360aero (@fl360aero) <a href="https://twitter.com/fl360aero/status/1780830533351616661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2024</a></blockquote>The media office for the Emirati government <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/UAEmediaoffice/status/1780326720588906951">said</a> the country witnessed the largest amount of rainfall in 75 years.Schools in the United Arab Emirates were closed until the end of the week, while federal government employees were told to work remotely.At <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/torrential-rain-flash-floods-wreaked-havoc-dubai-airport-travel-chaos-2024-4">Dubai International Airport</a>, some planes tried to battle through the flood. Its terminals began to reopen early Thursday morning local time, although the airport said on X: "Flights continue to be delayed and disrupted."54% of flights leaving Dubai International on Tuesday were canceled, according to data from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.flightaware.com/live/cancelled/minus2days">FlightAware</a>. More than 800 flights have been canceled over the past three days.Do you work for an airline? Reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:psyme@businessinsider.com">psyme@businessinsider.com</a>

Emirates told cabin crew to report for duty during historic Dubai flood despite government's stay-at-home warning, report says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Piers Morgan's Twitter account was flooded with offensive posts after his account was seemingly hacked.</li><li>Racial slurs, misinformation, and abusive messages were shared from Morgan's account.</li></ul>Piers Morgan's Twitter account was flooded with offensive posts after the British broadcaster's account was seemingly hacked in the early hours of December 27.Racial slurs, false information, and abusive messages directed at singer Ed Sheeran and the late Queen Elizabeth II were shared with Morgan's 8.3 million Twitter followers.By 9 a.m. EST, the tweets had disappeared and <a href="https://twitter.com/piersmorgan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morgan's Twitter account</a> had been cleared of its profile and banner photo. In one of the posts, Morgan's account falsely announced that Andrew Tate had been shot dead in Dubai. The influencer later <a href="https://twitter.com/Cobratate/status/1607612284205170688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1607612284205170688%7Ctwgr%5E5ec0514e94e22ae62ea39dbdaee358444db0ecec%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marca.com%2Fen%2Flifestyle%2Fcelebrities%2F2022%2F12%2F27%2F63aa89ace2704e094b8b4596.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a> saying he was "hard to kill."Another tweet posted from the account <a href="https://twitter.com/brosandprose/status/1607584010598858752" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>: "Fuck the Queen," seemingly in reference to the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—ella dawson (@brosandprose) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1607584010598858752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2022</a></blockquote>Two abusive posts were also directed at the British singer Ed Sheeran, with one labeling him a "ginger fucker," according to <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/piers-morgan-twitter-queen-hacked-b2251845.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Independent</a>.Another offensive tweet sent before the account was wiped simply said the n-word.It isn't clear who was carried out the likely hack, though initially the Chuckling Squad group appears to have claimed responsibility. The hacker collective has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/authorities-arrested-member-of-chuckling-squad-hacked-jack-dorsey-2019-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">previously claimed responsibility</a> for taking over famous social media profiles.Representatives for Morgan and Twitter did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.Morgan's Twitter hack follows another high-profile social-media hack in the UK. On December 26, the UK's Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan's Twitter account was used to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/dec/26/hack-of-twitter-uk-education-secretary-gillian-keegan-changes-profile-picture-elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promote cryptocurrencies</a> and her profile picture was changed to an image of Elon Musk.

Piers Morgan's Twitter account was flooded with offensive posts aimed at Ed Sheeran and Queen Elizabeth II after his account was seemingly hacked

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US and Brent crude oil prices plummeted on Wednesday to $69 and $74 a barrel, respectively. </li><li>US crude exports are nearing a record 6 million barrels a day, pushing global supply higher. </li></ul>Ballooning global supply and an uncertain demand outlook is <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/crude-oil-outlook-opec-production-markets-saudi-arabia-russia-economy-2023-12?_gl=1*1j5m03q*_ga*MjA5NTAyMzYyOS4xNjYyNDcwMDc5*_ga_E21CV80ZCZ*MTcwMTg4MjkxNS4xNDM5LjEuMTcwMTg4MzE2MC41OS4wLjA.">pulling oil prices lower</a>, with US and global crude plunging to multi-month lows on Wednesday. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?type=wti">West Texas Intermediate</a> plunged 4.12% to $69.37 a barrel, and <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">Brent crude</a>, the international benchmark, moved lower 3.68% to $74.39 a barrel.The latest drop comes as federal data shows US gasoline inventories rising compared to a week prior, leading to futher questions about oil demand. At the same time, market are digesting a surge in US oil production, which notched all-time records in September and October. The boom in US output has led some commentators to warn that OPEC+, particularly Saudi Arabia, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/oil-outlook-saudi-arabia-opec-production-us-share-crude-supply-2023-12">could "flush" the market</a> to counter America's shale oil boom. Flooding the market with oil would have the effect of crashing the price in order to push small suppliers out of the market. Wednesday's drops add to a series of recent declines, moves which the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries has attempted to combat with announcements of production cuts led by Saudi Arabia. The country's energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salam, told <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-03/latest-oil-market-news-and-analysis-for-dec-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Bloomberg</a> earlier this week that lower supply could stay on the table past March.Energy firm Kpler forecasts that Saudi Arabia will keep its one million barrel-a-day cuts through the duration of next year, but traders have doubted OPEC+ member states' commitment to the voluntary cuts, which has contributed to the recent string of declines. "While you have OPEC+ cutting production, you have a variety of countries that are increasing production outside the group, and also inside too actually," Matt Smith, Kpler lead oil analyst for the Americas, told Business Insider. "The US has increased, Canada, Guyana, Brazil. And ironically, you have Venezuela and Iran within OPEC increasing. Basically you have OPEC+ making room for non-OPEC supply, while the demand picture starts to soften."In the US, meanwhile, signs of softening economic conditions also point to waning activity in the world's largest economy. Gas prices have dropped to 11-month lows of $3.22 a barrel, per AAA, and the <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-news-today-jobs-market-adp-fed-rate-cuts-2023-12">lower-than-expected reading on the ADP payroll data</a> released Wednesday point to a cooling demand narrative."The oil market is increasingly sensitive to indications and suggestions that the economic landscape continues to ease," Quincy Krosby, chief global strategist for LPL Financial said. "Weaker crude prices are reflective of a softening economy."Softening demand can also be seen in China, which is dealing with a deepening economic malaise that's weighing on all sectors of its economy. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/china-economy-stocks-plunge-moodys-downgrade-credit-ratings-property-debt-2023-12">Moody's on Tuesday downgraded</a> its outlook on China's sovereign debt and pessimism over Beijing's ability to steer the country out of its real estate tumult, declining foreign investment, and sluggish economic activity present another headwind for crude prices."The four-day losing streak in oil is incentivizing high-level discussions among political leaders in the East, with the Kremlin head planning to visit the heads of Dubai and Riyadh today," according to José Torres, senior economist at Interactive Brokers. "The officials appear willing to curtail production further."

Oil prices are crashing. Blame uncertain demand and booming US production.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59d3de1d351ccfd9008b7920-1335/gettyimages-114958193.jpg" alt="man cell phone talk" data-mce-source="Spencer Platt / Getty Images" />Spencer Platt / Getty ImagesPersistence is key, says Trusona CEO Ori Eisen (not pictured).</div></div></div>Persistence is key.Ori Eisen, founder and CEO of digital identity authentication company <a href="https://www.trusona.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trusona</a>, would know. He once cold called an industry leader for four months before getting a response.Some time after Eisen became American Express' worldwide fraud director in 2002, he decided he wanted to learn more about the issue of counterfeiting from Frank Abagnale - the security consultant and fraud expert whose past career as a con man inspired the film "Catch Me If You Can."Eisen wanted to create a new online fraud detection product. He had the technical skills necessary for the venture, but he wanted Abagnale as an adviser, due to his experience as a fraud expert and his criminal past.But when Eisen called, Abagnale responded that he didn't teach anyone and couldn't help. Eisen wasn't dissuaded. He kept calling."I'm not a person that gives up easily," Eisen told Business Insider.Four months later, Eisen got his shot. Abagnale's office told him the security consultant could squeeze in a quick 20 minute chat. Abagnale had some time after his keynote speech at a Discover event in San Antonio, during the ride from his hotel to his jet.Eisen decided he'd use the opportunity to meet Abagnale in person, rather than just talk over the phone."I told my wife, 'I'm going to San Antonio to meet Frank Abagnale,'" Eisen said. "So I go. Frank finishes his amazing keynote. He immediately realized this is the pesky guy who did not give up and kept calling him."But Eisen and Abagnale clicked during the subsequent limo ride. After discussing Eisen's business idea, Abagnale offered to help him start his own business and work as his adviser - if he'd quit American Express. Eisen did just that and went out to found fraud prevention company The 41st Parameter. He's worked with Abagnale ever since. Eisen said they aren't just business collaborators today - they're good friends."Very few people follow through and do what they actually say they will do," Eisen said. "But Frank has been there for me since that moment."Not everyone can hop on a plane to go meet their ideal mentor. Still, if you're trying to connect out of the blue with an industry hero, you've got to persist. Eisen said to also at least offer the person something concrete, in order to rise above the flood of correspondence they're likely receiving. In Eisen's case, he was able to offer the opportunity for Abagnale to work on a new fraud detection venture."Many of the cold calls I get today, people start with, 'Oh, I'd really like to meet you or I'd really like to talk to you' and it is a very self-centered request," he said. "I'm not saying it's bad. But you have to think about it from the viewpoint of the recipient." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-police-robot-self-driving-drone-autonomous-2017-7">This self-driving police car can track criminals and launch drones - and it's about to be deployed in Dubai</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/7jsk4cSJ-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

How to get anyone to talk to you, according to a CEO who cold-called someone for 4 months

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A group of women in <keyword id="6354541" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="afghanistan">Afghanistan</keyword> are breaking through as Gen Z influencers on TikTok, <keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword>, and YouTube. </li><li>More Afghans are online, and dozens of Afghan women have 50,000 or more followers on at least one social platform.</li><li>As tastemakers, they're offering a fresh point of view on what it means to be Afghan in 2021. </li><li> </li></ul>A generation of Afghan women in their 20s have mastered the art of living their lives on social media. Digital natives as much as any young person in Istanbul or Los Angeles, they are doing more than shaping what's cool in Afghanistan. Over Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook, these influencers are proving they are more than the "post 9/11" generation, as they've been labeled for 20 years. Afghanistan is what they make of it. Mixing traditional and streetwear styles, they blast Travis Scott, Rihanna, Nina Simone, and Afghan musicians like Ahmad Zahir. They post selfies in front of Kabul's<a href="https://www.designindaba.com/articles/creative-work/graffiti-tool-liberation-kabul"> graffiti walls</a> and carefully timed videos of the Turkish chef putting on an elaborate show in the city's new <a href="https://www.instagram.com/prime.stk/?hl=en">high-end steakhouse</a>. They make Tik-Toks of Megan Thee Stallion' Savage challenge and redub Bollywood clips to poke fun at their own country. Put simply, they're young, gifted and Afghan. <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@ayeda.af/video/6921796899901164801" data-video-id="6921796899901164801" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@ayeda.af" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ayeda.af">@ayeda.af</a> <a title="ayeda" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ayeda">##ayeda</a> <a title="afghanlady" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/afghanlady">##afghanlady</a> <a title="ayedaaf" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ayedaaf">##ayedaaf</a> <a title="ayedafashion" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ayedafashion">##ayedafashion</a> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - ayeda.shadab.af" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6921796877235145474">♬ original sound - ayeda.shadab.af</a> </section> </blockquote> By broadcasting to the public, these influencers are taking real risks -- but also reaping big rewards. In Afghanistan, they've earned reputations as tastemakers who are sought out by savvy business owners for their marketing power. They work out for free at Kabul's flashy new high-tech gym. But in a country still at war, safety is a serious concern. Recently, there has been a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CovvUdrlsag">pattern</a> of targeted killings aimed at the nation's journalists, rights workers, politicians and other influential figures. No <keyword id="1864633" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Influencer">influencer</keyword> has been targeted so far, but it's a threat that's never far from their minds. <h3><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ayeda.shadab/?hl=en">Ayeda Shadab</a> is one of Afghanistan's social media stars. </h3>The 26-year-old posts several times a day, and she has more <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ayeda.shadab/?hl=en">followers</a> on Instagram than the country's president, Ashraf Ghani. She models the dresses for sale in her luxury Kabul <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ayeda.af/video/6929037160221920513?lang=en&amp;is_copy_url=1&amp;is_from_webapp=v3ebapp=v3">boutique</a> and shares glossy selfies from her trips around the country. Her devoted followers flood the comments with style questions, words of encouragement, and the occasional unfriendly directive to cover her hair. "Our intention is to show people the possibilities, that they can live life as they want," she told Insider. "There is always fear in your heart, that's just part of living in Afghanistan. But we have to stand up and live our lives." On a recent trip to Herat, the historic city in western Afghanistan best known for its sprawling Citadel, Shadab documented her every move, excited to find fresh content for her 220,000-plus Instagram followers. The trouble was that everything she wanted to do seemed needlessly dangerous in a city known for <a href="https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-07-27/afghanistans-model-city-also-its-kidnapping-capital">kidnappings</a> and where, just recently, police officers were <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/afghanistan-attacks-int/four-policemen-killed-in-fresh-attacks-in-afghanistan-idUSKBN2AH18D">killed</a> by IEDs planted near the hotel where she was staying.But Shadab was undeterred. <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@ayeda.af/video/6926638125296913665" data-video-id="6926638125296913665" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@ayeda.af" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ayeda.af">@ayeda.af</a> <a target="_blank" title="♬ الصوت الأصلي - عادل محمد" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/الصوت-الأصلي-6624471649424575238">♬ الصوت الأصلي - عادل محمد</a> </section> </blockquote> One evening during the trip, Shadab and her crew drove to the Roof of Herat, a scenic overlook with panoramic views of the city that's a popular sunset hangout spot. As they pulled in, her friends (and this journalist, at work on this story) began to wonder if it was a good idea to stage a shoot in such a public place. Just behind the lookout was a mosque belonging to a controversial mullah who had taken out billboards across Herat reprimanding women for inappropriate attire. Nearby was a guest house owned by a local jihadi warlord who only a decade ago had criticized the city's rock bands for carrying guitars, not guns.For the occasion, Shadab wore an embroidered top with billowing sleeves and a skirt that fanned out into kaleidoscopic waves of color. Before stepping out of the Lexus and onto the dirt and gravel road, she slipped into a pair of Manolo Blahniks she had bought during a recent trip to Dubai. Not too far away, groups of men idled in their cars and rickshaws smoking hashish. Two beggar boys were asking Shadab for coins, not remotely comprehending that they might be getting in the way of her Likes.While Shadab twirled and grinned for the camera, a group of young men hopped out of a Land Cruiser with black government plates. They started doing their own braggadocious photoshoot, with one brandishing an AK-47 for the camera. <div type="image" title="Ayeda Shadab looks out" height="4480" width="5973" msid="81358400" hostid="261"></div>Sensing the tension passing between Shadab's crew, one of the men called out, "Don't worry, we'll be right here. We won't get in your shots!" But they kept staring. Shadab continued posing, oblivious to everything except the camera. And then something happened that confirmed Shadab's confidence and left her friends in fits of laughter.With sudden recognition, the young man with the AK-47 called out, "That's Ayeda, she's on Instagram!" For the rest of the trip "That's Ayeda!" became a running gag among the group. Including, a few days later, at Herat International Airport, when workers stopped her for a selfie. "We follow you!" an airport policeman said as Shadab and her friends headed towards the departures gate. As for the adventure that night at the lookout, it earned Shadab more than 12,000 likes. <h3>The number of Afghans online lags far behind other countries, but they're catching up. </h3>Just 14% of the population uses the internet as a source of <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> and information, according to the Asia Foundation's 2019 "<a href="https://asiafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019_Afghan_Survey_Full-Report.pdf">Survey of the Afghan People</a>." In 2015, only 25% of households could get online using a cellphone with Internet access, but that number was up to nearly half in 2019.Mariam Wardak, an Afghan-American who is working with Facebook to bring the anti-bullying and anti-extremism "We Think Digital" campaign to Afghanistan, said she has signed up 14 Afghan women, including Shadab, to be digital ambassadors. <div type="image" title="Ayeda Shadab dance citadel" height="5981" width="3987" msid="81358402" hostid="261"></div>She has identified 60 Afghan women with 50,000 or more followers, Wardak told Insider, adding: "They are building cultural tolerance in our society one post at a time." Shadab sees herself principally as a businesswoman. In fact, the main reason she joined social media was to ramp up business for her boutique, which has become one of Kabul's hottest shops since she opened it a year ago. As a student in Malaysia and China, she would post pictures of herself online and Kabul women would reply by asking her to bring the looks back to sell in Afghanistan. "It was my followers who said we need a physical shop to come to," she said. On the racks, denim jackets adorned with traditional embroidery from northern Afghanistan hang alongside voluminous dresses with subtly-dropped necklines. There are brightly-colored full-length faux fur coats that have appeared on the accounts of several other influencers. Her purchases from Herat -- like the second-hand velvet dresses she found at the antiques market -- will be repurposed into original designs."My entire business is reliant on my social media," she said. "Sometimes I fear what will happen to my business if Instagram ever shuts down." As the number of influencers grows, Shadab's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLQ3CKRnJSW/">shop</a> has become a place where they run into one another.<h2>One of them is Sadiqa Madadgar, a former contestant on the popular reality singing competition Afghan Star.</h2>She ended up placing seventh, but she stayed on social media, and now has a combined following of 239,000 on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sadiqa_madadgar/?hl=en">Instagram</a>, TikTok, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sadiqamadadgarofficial">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/SadiQaMadadgar">YouTube</a>. (One <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjWV4_Nnjz4">performance</a>, in particular, has been viewed millions of times. Where Shadab is seen as aspirational, Madadgar, who's 22, is approachable. YouTube <a href="https://youtu.be/4sCOfTDOkSc">videos</a> that show her cutting open a melon or describing a recent leg injury to a friend get tens of thousands of views. In showing her struggles with basic household chores in her modest Kabul apartment, she has become the girl next door.Most YouTubers have professional studios with special lighting, specific backdrops, HD cameras and Pro-level computers to shoot and their videos on. Madadgar does it all with the most basic of tools. Each of these videos are shot, edited and published directly from her iPhone.She's also known for being deeply religious, and has become a model for how to broadcast your life over social media while maintaining a sense of modesty. <div type="image" title="Sadiqa Madadgar in the shop " height="4480" width="6720" msid="81358403" hostid="261"></div>"When I first went on Afghan Star, everyone said 'there's no way you can remain a good Muslim girl and be a singer,'" Madadgar said. "So I set out to prove them wrong."After her first appearance on the show in 2018, Madadgar received a frantic phone call from her mother in Quetta, who was incensed to see her daughter (who had moved to Kabul to study dentistry) singing on live TV. "I'm still the same girl," Madagar remembers telling her mother. "I didn't do anything bad, say anything disrespectful or wear anything inappropriate." Madadgar has found it much more difficult to monetize her following compared to Shadab. Yes, she enjoys the social perks and freebies, but what she really wants is to fund her music career, which means raising enough to record an album and film some music videos.One recent morning, needing a dress for a photo shoot, Madadgar came into Shadab's shop with a couple of friends. The staff recognized her immediately and began to pull gowns from the racks. With an armored car idling outside, she spent 30 minutes trying on different looks. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJyjolQnGsk" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Afghan Star 14⚡صدیقه مددگار (@sadiqa_madadgar)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></div></blockquote>Finally, Madadgar decided on a burgundy dress with an embellished belt and fully-covered sleeves. With that settled, she rushes out and into the waiting car. "Oh, she didn't buy it. She's just borrowing it," Wardak, the "We Think Digital" leader, would later explain. "Sadiqa being photographed in it will help the business." <h2>Shadab's success depends on posting a steady stream of content.</h2>She is constantly looking for potential photo ops and video setups. One evening during her trip to Herat, after a day spent rushing between photo shoots at the city's historic sites, Shadab relaxed in a wood and glass gazebo in the garden of the high-end ARG Hotel. She was scrolling through the images they'd taken that day, wishing that they had been able to accomplish more. In this conservative city, there had often been nowhere for her to change modestly into different outfits, and so they lost time in traffic as they went back and forth to the safety of her hotel room. The confidence that exudes from Shadab in person is also evident from what she posts online. What she wants most of all, she said, is for her followers, especially other young women, to understand is that she is an educated female entrepreneur who has built her own business on her own terms.There are of course sexist and hateful comments that she has to reckon with too, including from people telling her she should cover her hair more. But for the most part she dismissed that as part of living your life online.<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLbQke1CzwG" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Ro Ya Heydari (@roya_heydari)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></div></blockquote>"It's so strange, all of these people are so curious about our lives," she continued. "They want to know what this boy or this girl is doing, but then, instead of supporting you, they use that same content to attack you."Still, for Shadab it was all worth it. Trips like this offered new content, yes. But Shadab also saw them as a chance to show off her country. When she and her friends were growing up, most of the images of Afghanistan came from foreign war photographers. The country's story was often reduced to violence and tragedy. But today, with just a mobile phone and an Internet connection, influencers like Shadab can show another side to their country - the banalities, the beauty, the luxury and the laughs - that war and displacement couldn't steal from them. Shadab sips from a glass of saffron tea, scrolling through her comments. Suddenly, she lets out a heavy sigh. Her friends, each busy with their own stories and tweets, turn to look at her."Listen to this," she says, and begins to read an Instagram DM."Thank you for showing my homeland that I haven't seen in 11 years," she reads aloud. Her friends sigh along with her. Shadab continues: "I miss it. You're very lucky."

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