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
UK music festival rocked by boycotts as artists shun Israel The artists are refusing to play at the Great Escape Festival in Brighton, a seaside resort in South England, over one of the sponsors' ties to Israel. Israel
‘Written Eye’ exhibit breathes life into Syria's art scene Several young artists showcased their works at a new-concept exhibition held in the heart of the Syrian capital, signaling a revival of the Syrian art scene after years of war. Syria
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
Turkey Islamist group calls for art expo's closure for 'blasphemy,' LGBTQ 'propaganda' Islamist media and AKP members attacked Istanbul Municipality’s inaugural exhibition of top Turkish artists at Feshane, a recently renovated 19th-century factory. Turkey
Qatar to buy stake in Washington Wizards, Capitals: reports The move follows the National Basketball Association allowing sovereign wealth funds to invest in teams and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund merging its LIV Golf league with the PGA Tour, demonstrating Gulf investors' interest in US sports. Gulf
Saudi Arabia bans new Spider-Man movie that features transgender flag A few issues of censorship of LGBTQ content have occurred in the Gulf recently, though Saudi authorities did not say exactly why “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” will not be shown. Gulf
