Art and entertainment

Riyadh lights up with citywide art festival

Saudi Arabia's first annual Noor Riyadh art festival has brightened Riyadh with light-based installations across the city.

Rebecca Anne Proctor | Gulf Pulse | Mar 27, 2021

A light installation spelling out "Riyadh" is seen in this undated image from the Noor Riyadh festival.

Egypt's satirical puppet Abla Fahita makes comeback on Netflix's 'Drama Queen'

Netflix has started airing a second Egyptian original series about Abla Fahita as the US streaming giant seeks to expand its viewership in the Arab world.

A correspondent in Egypt | Egypt | Mar 24, 2021

A screen grab from the Netflix trailer for Drama Queen.

Inside Alexandria's bunker-turned-art space

In the basement of an old building in Alexandria lies an art space that once served as a bomb shelter.

Hani Sameer | Egypt | Feb 11, 2021

Islamic scholars, activists call for ban on British film about prophet’s daughter

The film about Fatima al-Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, has already been banned in Pakistan.

Amr Mostafa | Egypt | Jan 8, 2021

Egypt approves Pharaonic exhibition in 5 US, European cities

Despite the outbreak of the coronavirus around the world, Egypt is trying to revive the tourism sector by planning to take remarkable archaeological pieces on a tour around five prominent cities in Europe and the United States.

Nada Shaker | Egypt | Jan 7, 2021

This picture taken on April 13, 2020 shows a view of the golden sarcophagus of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun (reigned between 1342-1325 BC) as it lies for restoration at the restoration lab of the newly-built Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza on the southwestern outskirts of the capital Cairo. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP) (Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Art perseveres in Istanbul despite coronavirus

The city’s traditional fall art season is underway as curators take new approaches to exhibit work safely and sustainably during the coronavirus pandemic, despite confusing government restrictions about what would be allowed to go ahead.

Ayla Jean Yackley | Turkey | Nov 13, 2020

People stand on the "Meeting Point", a temporary designed mobile public forum and exhibition center on Febuary 18, 2020 near Gezi Park in Istanbul. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP) (Photo by YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images)

Egypt holds its first Islamic exhibition in Saudi Arabia

Egypt is trying to attract Saudi tourists by holding an exhibition of Egyptian Islamic antiquities in Saudi Arabia, which includes 84 artifacts from the collections of Islamic art in Cairo.

George Mikhail | Saudi Arabia | Nov 11, 2020

People visit Cairo's Museum of Islamic Art after it reopened to the public on January 19, 2017, in the egyptian capital.
The Egyptian president reopened the museum on January 18, three years after a car bombing partially destroyed the building. / AFP / MOHAMED EL-SHAHED (Photo credit should read MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP via Getty Images)

Netflix airs its first Egyptian original series

The US streaming giant Netflix has started airing "Paranormal," the first original Egyptian Arabic-language series, as part of its efforts to boost its activity in the Middle East and draw a larger audience.

A correspondent in Egypt | Originals | Nov 10, 2020

Tel Aviv battles against strip clubs

New regulations adopted by the Tel Aviv municipality would enable it to ban new striptease clubs in the city and render such openings a criminal offense.

Rina Bassist | Israel | Sep 18, 2020

A boy walks past the closed Gogo Girls strip club in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on March 5, 2020. - The demise of Tel Aviv's strip clubs was accelerated in 2018, when Israel's parliament, the Knesset, passed a law banning brothels. But the final straw came in April last year when the public prosecutor issued a directive to clamp down on lap dances, arguing they could in some cases be viewed as prostitution. (Photo by Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP) (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)

'Cuties' spurs calls by Egyptian authorities to censor Netflix

There have been increasing calls in Egypt to censor certain Netflix content, while art critics believe it would be difficult to censor the work of the global network.

Ahmed Gomaa | Egypt | Sep 18, 2020

This picture taken early on May 24, 2020 shows a view of the historic Metro cinema theatre as a man walks past, along the commercial Talaat Harb street in the almost deserted city centre Egypt's capital Cairo, on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday which starts at the conclusion of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. - Egypt had previously announced a lengthening of its night-time curfew and other measures to prevent large gatherings during the Eid al-Fitr holidays. One of the most important dat

Jordanians travel through time in this old signs museum

In an attempt to preserve the memory of the Jordanian capital, Amman, a calligrapher opened a museum where he exhibits shop signs installed between the 1950s and 1990s.

Mohammad Ersan | Jordan | Sep 16, 2020

Yazidi activist Nadia Murad to appear on 'The Daily Show'

Murad's appearance on the popular US talk and news satire show could showcase her efforts to combat sexual violence and trafficking to a new and big audience.

Al-Monitor Staff | Iraq | Jul 29, 2020

German woman kidnapped in Baghdad freed in Iraqi operation

German national Hella Mewis, who was abducted outside of her office in Baghdad on Monday evening, was freed in an operation carried out by Iraqi security forces.

Al-Monitor Staff | Iraq | Jul 24, 2020

Netflix Turkey cancels new series with gay character after government pressure

Netflix Turkey's decision to cancel a series with a gay character due to government pressure indicates that LGBTI+ society and rights are increasingly coming into the government's crosshairs.

Kenan Behzat Sharpe | Turkey | Jul 22, 2020

Egypt’s top film festivals gearing up to open as scheduled

As Egypt begins to gradually lift restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus, the country’s top film festivals are preparing to hold their events in the coming months while taking the necessary precautionary measures.

Youssra el-Sharkawy | Egypt | Jun 24, 2020

Art and entertainment

Riyadh lights up with citywide art festival

Saudi Arabia's first annual Noor Riyadh art festival has brightened Riyadh with light-based installations across the city.

Egypt's satirical puppet Abla Fahita makes comeback on Netflix's 'Drama Queen'

Inside Alexandria's bunker-turned-art space

Islamic scholars, activists call for ban on British film about prophet’s daughter

Egypt approves Pharaonic exhibition in 5 US, European cities

Art perseveres in Istanbul despite coronavirus

Egypt holds its first Islamic exhibition in Saudi Arabia

Netflix airs its first Egyptian original series

Tel Aviv battles against strip clubs

'Cuties' spurs calls by Egyptian authorities to censor Netflix

Jordanians travel through time in this old signs museum

Yazidi activist Nadia Murad to appear on 'The Daily Show'

German woman kidnapped in Baghdad freed in Iraqi operation

Netflix Turkey cancels new series with gay character after government pressure

Egypt’s top film festivals gearing up to open as scheduled

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