Who is Turki Al-Sheikh? Saudi Arabian advisor teases collaboration with IShowSpeed

IShowSpeed with Saudi Arabian official (Image via Turki Al-Sheikh/X)

Saudi Arabian advisor to the royal court Turki Al-Sheikh posted a photo with popular YouTube livestreamer Darren "IShowSpeed" on April 24, 2025, and teased a big collaboration with the content creator. For those out of the loop, Darren has met with Al-Sheikh before.

Turki Al-Sheikh is a Minister at the Royal Court of Saudi Arabia and serves as the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA). He has been credited with spearheading sports and cultural development in the country. He is also the chairman of the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation, is a fan of boxing, and owns UD Almería, a football club in the Spanish Segunda Division.

It was under his stint as the Chairman of GEA that Saudi Arabia unbanned cinemas, and he is credited as the writer of The Cello, a 2023 film that has been hailed as the first Arabic international horror film.

Turki Al-Sheikh first crossed paths with IShowSpeed during a boxing match in December 2024. At the time, the Saudi official had talked about doing "something crazy" with the YouTuber, insinuating that it should be bigger than MrBeast. It seems that their plans are finally in place.

Turki Al-Sheikh says "many surprises are coming" in collaboration with IShowSpeed

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In a post on X, Turki Al-Sheikh teased the upcoming collaboration by posting a photo with IShowSpeed and writing:

"With IShowSpeed… many surprises coming soon."

While no more information has been provided, the post has gone viral on social media, having garnered over half a million impressions on X in a matter of hours. Readers should note that Speed is no stranger to Saudi Arabia. The YouTuber has traveled to the country before in his efforts to meet his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo. Last year, he met up with Ronaldo's son while traveling in the country.

As one of the many YouTubers inclined toward sports, IShowSpeed has also been part of the 2025 Match for Hope charity game held earlier this year in Qatar, where he was the captain of a team that included star players such as David Silva, Iniesta, and more.

About the author

Richik has been specializing in streamer content at Sportskeeda for over 2 years. He also manages a group of writers who craft relevant news and features about content creators on platforms like Twitch, Kick, and Rumble. Prior to Sportskeeda, he interned at The Ken and worked as a reviewer at Blacksof where he fact-checked educational content.

Richik’s love for writing, researching, and archiving, along with his inquisitive nature and longstanding love for video games led him to pursue a career as a gaming journalist. He relies on primary sources for accurate information and ensures that his drafts are proofread, fact-checked, and well-researched.

As a child, Richik spent many a summer vacation playing the 1994 Road Rash with his cousins. Although more of an FPS and open-world fiend now, Richik enjoys single-player RPGs with compelling storytelling, such as The Last of Us franchise, and regularly teams up with his friends to play multiplayer titles like Valorant on PC.

Richik enjoys watching streamer and former esports athlete Shroud, and also finds inspiration in MrBeast's journey to become one of the most well-known content creators worldwide. Interviewing English-Somali YouTuber Sharky, a member of the renowned Beta Squad, was a career highlight for him.

When not writing, Richik likes to read, watch a movie or a game of football.

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Edited by Richik "anarkiddie" Bhattacharya