Walid Al-Saqaf

Walid Al-Saqaf is a full-time postdoc researcher in the Department of Media Studies at Stockholm University and a member of the Internet Society’s Board of Trustees. His research focuses on Internet use, particularly Twitter, during times of conflict, with emphasis on digital rights and communication in volatile regions.

His expertise spans Internet censorship circumvention, conflict journalism, and digital activism, demonstrated through his founding of Alkasir—a global censorship mapping tool widely deployed during the Arab Spring. Al-Saqaf’s work bridges academic research and real-world advocacy for online freedom of expression, examining how social media platforms operate in politically unstable environments.

His significant contributions to digital rights have earned recognition through prestigious awards:

• 2010 Democracy Prize by Orebro University
• TED senior fellowship in 2012

Al-Saqaf actively promotes youth innovation in Yemen through initiatives he founded, including ISOC-YE, TEDxSanaa, and the Sanaa Hub (Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum). He engages globally with organizations like ICANN, RIPE, Arab IGF, and the World Wide Web Foundation to advance internet governance and digital inclusion.