A tweeter named “Abdulaziz Al-Nafi’i” has shared rumors that were widely spread in different regions of the Kingdom during the 1990s. Al-Nifai posted a series of tweets on his Twitter account revealing 11 rumors that were prevalent during the last decade of the previous century. These rumors included the existence of a non-exposure card, a fanatical group emerging for Pepsi in the eastern region, and the belief that it tastes better, a rumor regarding the assault on Hamed Al-Ghamdi, and the spread of rumors related to Wendy’s restaurant AIDS. Additionally, there was a rumor regarding the small bag included in the new shoe, which was believed to contain poison. Furthermore, rumors related to Zainab Al-Askari, the snake that answers the phone, and eating fish, milk, or tuna leading to poisoning were also prevalent during that time. It should be noted that these rumors were mostly spread through popular magazines and sources such as “my cousin’s son,” which were difficult to verify.
Al-Marsad Newspaper: A tweeter called “Abdulaziz Al-Nafi’i” re-published the most widespread rumors in the 1990s in various regions of the Kingdom.
Al-Nifai published a series of tweets on his Twitter account revealing 11 rumors that spread in the nineties of the last century, which came as follows:
1. Non-exposure card: A rumor spread regarding the existence of a card that allows its holder to roam as he pleases, and some began to forge this card so that he might move with his full will and be able to escape from the patrols with it.
2- Pepsi: A fanatical group emerged for Pepsi in the eastern region (Algosaibi packaging), as they believed that it tastes better. Also, with the spread of health education campaigns regarding the dangers of soft drinks, many rumors began to appear regarding Pepsi, including: It is made of pig intestines and that it walks through the sewers.
3- Assault on Hamed Al-Ghamdi: After the star of Hamid Al-Ghamdi shone and became famous for presenting the Viewers’ Race program, the rumor was saying that Hamid Al-Ghamdi was kidnapped and part of his tongue was cut off by participants who lost in the program, as many were waiting for Al-Ghamdi to appear in the news bulletin, so that he might be assured of the status of his tongue.
4- Al Mazloum Neighborhood in Jeddah: A rumor spread that the naming was due to the unjust execution of a person there, which made his blood write the word (oppressed) on the ground.
5- Wendy’s Restaurant Aids: A rumor spread that there was a Filipino with AIDS in a Wendy’s restaurant who put his own blood instead of ketchup in meals.
It is noteworthy that Wendy’s restaurant closed all its branches in Saudi Arabia.
6- The small bag in the new shoe: There was a rumor saying that it was “poison”, but it is true that the bag is used to keep shoes from getting damaged (silica absorbs moisture).
7- Zainab Al-Askari: Zainab Al-Askari was the icon of the nineties in the Gulf, and many rumors spread regarding Al-Askari, most of which were related to marriage, and the source of most of the rumors was the artistic / popular magazines.
8- The snake that answers the phone: A rumor has spread that there is a fixed number, and if you call it, it will answer you “live.” What is correct is that it is the sound of fax machines. The reason for the spread of the rumor may be the showing of the movie (The Snake Man) on Saudi TV.
9- The aunt’s son: The Source of Rumors During the 1990s, young people who liked to write used “my cousin’s son” as a source, and the reason for that was that it was difficult to reach the cousin’s son to verify the rumor.
It is also mentioned that the word “my aunt’s son” is used more in Hijaz, while “my uncle’s son” is used more in Najd.
10- Eating fish, milk or tuna leads to poisoning: Some believed that it causes leprosy, and it is true that in the worst cases it may cause indigestion.
In conclusion, these rumors may seem absurd now, but they were widely spread and believed in the nineties. The power of social media has allowed for these rumors to resurface and be shared once once more. It is important to fact-check before sharing any information on social media, as false information can spread quickly and have negative consequences. We should always be skeptical of what we read online and strive to verify information before accepting it as truth.