What two viral Makkah videos really show: a 2018 Yanbu clip and a 2025 Madinah one

Two videos tied to Saudi Arabia went viral on X this week with dramatic captions. Fact-checkers at iVerify Pakistan, whose findings were published by Express Tribune on 16 and 17 September, traced both clips and found neither shows what it claims. One is from 2018, the other from 2025.

Both are the kind of clip that lands in Pakistani family WhatsApp groups within hours, so here is what each one really shows.

Clip 1: the "arrested imam"

The claim: a mosque imam in Saudi Arabia was arrested mid-sermon for criticising the Saudi government over US policy in the region. Accounts, mostly Saudi-based, shared it from Sunday 13 September. One post alone passed 126,800 views.

What it actually is: footage from early March 2018 at Al-Jabriya Mosque in Yanbu. A reverse image search found the same video on Facebook on 3 March 2018.

Saudi outlets Okaz and Al-Riyadh carried the Medina police statement at the time. It said the man seen climbing the pulpit was a citizen in his seventies with a record of psychological disorders, who tried to deliver the Friday sermon before the official preacher. He was handed over to his family for treatment. None of the reports identified him as the mosque's imam.

The same clip had already been recycled with other false stories, including a 2021 Facebook post claiming the man was executed.

Verdict: misleading.

Clip 2: the "drone over Makkah"

The claim: Saudi air defences shooting down a Houthi drone after it entered Makkah's airspace. It spread from Wednesday 16 September, including through a journalist's widely viewed post.

The real news: on Tuesday 15 September, Saudi authorities said they intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Makkah, before it reached the city's restricted airspace. The Houthis denied targeting Makkah.

What the video actually is: an old clip. The earliest copy iVerify found was posted by Islam Channel on Facebook on 12 September 2025, describing a missile-like object and a loud explosion near Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah. No credible outlet used these visuals for this week's Makkah incident.

Verdict: false.

3 checks before you forward

1. Screenshot and reverse-search. Take a clear frame from the video and run it through Google Lens or a similar reverse image search. Both of these clips surfaced online years or a year earlier within seconds.

2. Match the details to the official statement. Saudi officials said the drone was stopped south of Makkah. A video claiming it was over the city already contradicts the official account. If the caption and the statement disagree, stop.

3. Look for the same footage on a credible outlet. If Dawn, Geo, Reuters or Al Jazeera report the event but none of them carry the viral clip, treat it as unverified. A "Forwarded many times" label is a reason to slow down, not a sign of truth.

Why it matters here

Anything involving the Haramain moves fast in Pakistan and can stir real anxiety for families with relatives on Umrah or working in the Kingdom. Rely on official Saudi statements and established news outlets. For more debunks, see our viral section.

For what actually happened near Makkah, read what Pakistani Umrah pilgrims should know after the drone was shot down.