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'Prison saved my life': UAE-based influencer's first Ramadan after 6-month jail
After a difficult period, the 29-year-old opens up about personal struggles, recovery and a shift in priorities
- PUBLISHED: Mon 23 Feb 2026, 1:14 PM
After what she described as the most difficult year of her life, UAE-based Rawan Bin Hussain is entering Ramadan with a different mindset.
The Kuwaiti influencer, entrepreneur, singer and actor, who has more than 7 million followers on Instagram and over 700,000 subscribers on YouTube, shared a series of personal reflections, calling the past year a turning point that reshaped her priorities and outlook.
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The 29-year-old spoke openly about growth, accountability, and rebuilding, telling followers that the experience pushed her to reassess her life and strengthen her faith.
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In a recent Instagram post, she revealed, “In November 2024, I was admitted to the ICU for attempted suicide. When the whole world thought I had everything, deep down I was miserable.”
She went on to describe a period marked by personal loss and emotional struggles. “My divorce did damage me, but my mother’s death shattered me. Instead of grieving, I chose substance abuse to numb my feelings. I chose to overtrain as a coping mechanism, exercising for long hours until I got myself injured,” she wrote.
Bin Hussain also reflected on the choices she made during that time. “I chose to work overtime to keep myself busy so I didn’t have to deal with Rawan. I made friends with the wrong people, I loved the wrong men, I fell into the wrong crowd where I did not belong and it dimmed my light and my heart.”
At the end of her post, she wrote: “Prison saved my life because I knew my ending would have been tragic. I had to lose everything to realise how blessed I am. I was given another chance at life to rise, to grow and to shine, this time with a different mindset.”
She also shared how her approach to Ramadan will be different this year.
“This Ramadan, you won’t see me dressing up. I won’t share my looks or my iftars and suhoors the way I used to every year. This year, I want to dedicate Ramadan to Allah, our Creator.”
Who is Rawan Bin Hussain?
Bin Hussain is one of the region’s most recognisable digital personalities, known for her beauty, fashion and lifestyle content. Based between Kuwait and the UAE, she has expanded her presence beyond social media into entrepreneurship, music and acting, collaborating with major regional and international brands.
Over the years, she has also shared aspects of her personal journey online, including motherhood and her business ventures, building a community around themes of confidence and self-development.
A difficult year
Earlier this month, Bin Hussain posted a video documenting her release after completing a six-month period in custody related to a legal case in the UAE.
Last year, according to several Kuwaiti media outlets, the influencer was sentenced to six months in jail and fined Dh20,000 in connection with charges related to public misconduct. In her recent posts, however, she did not address the details of the case, focusing instead on the lessons learned during that period.
Waad Barakat is a Special Correspondent covering security topics, from law enforcement to local courts. With a keen eye for human interest stories, she hopes to blend it all with unique Gen Z-inspired content.
