Oscar-winning Palestinian director freed from Israeli detention after night in custody Hamdan Ballal, a co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," was assaulted by Israeli settlers and later detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank as the Israeli army continues its raids in the Palestinian territory. Palestine
Palestinian-Israeli documentary, Iranian film win at Oscars: What to know Two films from the Middle East won Oscars at Sunday's Academy Awards, highlighting the growing reputation of the region's film industry at a time of ongoing tensions and crises. Palestine
Lebanon's resistance through culture: Return of Beirut’s Metropolis Cinema As Beirut continues to navigate its path toward recovery, Metropolis Cinema stands as a symbol of the enduring power of art and culture to resist, unite and inspire. Lebanon
Analysis How Saudiwood’s power play is reshaping Middle East film industry While the country's first entry at Cannes didn’t win, its inclusion in the festival was another step toward Saudi ambitions to become a film industry powerhouse. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Grammys feature Gaza cease-fire calls, keffiyeh & support for Israeli hostages The devastation continues in Gaza despite international efforts to reach a cease-fire as the death toll surpasses 27,000. Israel
What does Saudi's first-ever alcohol store say about new Gulf culture? Alcohol-free 'mocktails' are also becoming increasingly popular across the region. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia sets art ambitions with Noor Riyadh Festival A tour of this year’s Noor Riyadh Festival sheds light on Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a cultural hub and, consequently, a tourism hub in the region. Gulf
Iranian artist Bita Ghezelayagh points pens and roses at censorship Iranian artist Bita Ghezelayagh fuses ancient Iranian crafts with universal themes of rebellion, hope and alienation. Iran
Saudi crown prince announces esports ‘world cup’ The move follows significant Saudi investment in both video games and traditional sports. Gulf
Middle East offers strong market for AI content dubbing The region is ripe for translated content as Arabic is widely spoken and there is a strong appetite for digital media due to a young population. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's SRMG invests in music streamer Anghami, Spotify’s Middle East rival Beirut-founded Anghami is the most popular music streaming platform in the MENA region, with 120 million registered users, up from 75 million in 2021. Saudi Arabia
Lebanon minister calls for banning of 'Barbie' movie The Hezbollah-backed politician accused the film of promoting homosexuality, among other things, amid rising anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the region. "Barbie" is scheduled to be released in the Gulf this week. Lebanon
Saudi, UAE theaters to screen Barbie this week, despite earlier push to delay The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar have changed the release date of the record grossing film for a second time to Aug. 10, and the film will open in Saudi Arabia Aug. 9. United Arab Emirates
Arab moviegoers wait to see 'Barbie' as UAE, Saudi screenings loom The summer box office hit is maintaining its delayed premier date of Aug. 31 in the UAE, Al-Monitor confirmed with Vox Cinemas. United Arab Emirates
Hero or villain? Disney ignites fury with ill-fated series on Turkey’s revered Ataturk Disney is thought to have caved to pressure from the US-based Armenian lobby to cancel the biopic on the founder of the Turkish Republic. Turkey
Artist Adam HajYahia explores desire, sexual deviance in Palestine A Palestinian artist and curator sheds light on the history of Palestine’s underworld in a recent exhibition. Palestine
