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Updated 14/04/2022
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3 DAYS AGO

The Urban Treasures that define Abu Dhabi

In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews celebrate Abu Dhabi’s urban culture through some of its beloved local businesses. A number of long-time establishments in the emirate have been honoured as Urban Treasures by Abu Dhabi Culture for their contribution to the commercial and cultural fabric of the capital over the past few decades. As the city grows and evolves, these pastry shops, fitness centres and even clinics thrive as historic landmarks reminiscent of a bygone era. Enas and Farah speak to one of the honorees, Santa D Souza, owner of Orchid Tailoring & Embroidery Shop, about what this recognition means to him. To mark the start of Eid Al Adha, the hosts take a closer look at the different customs that observers across the region have adopted, from the universal rituals of sacrifice to more individual traditions that families have created in their own homes and communities. Editor’s Note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.

3 days ago

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26 min
15 MAY

From Gaza to Cannes: Arab films in the spotlight

This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss some of the most promising Arab entries at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, which is running until May 24. They tease some of the titles they’re most eager to watch, including Once Upon a Time in Gaza, a revenge thriller directed by Gaza-born twins Tarzan and Arab Nasser. Another film that’s making waves at the event this year is Swedish-Egyptian filmmaker Tarik Saleh’s Eagles of the Republic, which is competing for the Palme d’Or award. The hosts highlight the valuable role film festivals play to introduce audiences to new cultures. Last week, Disneyland Abu Dhabi was announced. With the hugely-popular theme park coming to Yas Island, Enas and Farah give the scoop of what to expect when the park eventually opens. They chat about which Disney characters and imagery from the region could inspire the attractions at Disneyland Abu Dhabi. They also discuss the economic boost it will bring to the emirate and the wider region, such as job creation and infrastructure development.

15 May

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31 min
13/02/2024

What does the future of work have in store for us?

There’s a lot of speculation about how we’ll be working and getting paid in the future – think 2040 and beyond. While all those dystopian TV shows and movies might help you to imagine what it could be like, we are already getting glimpses of the future in our daily lives. This is thanks to our increased reliance on automation and, of course, the more recent surge in our use of generative artificial intelligence. One recent report on the future of work has found that traditional salaries will no longer exist – that’s right, forget the frustration of waiting for your monthly salary transfer. Instead, employees can look forward to real-time payments and even instant bonuses for a job well done. But what else is in store for workers in the future? Host Felicity Glover talks to Tracey Follows, a UK-based futurist who discusses her latest research on the work of the future.

13/02/2024

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26 min
TRAILER

Iraq: 20 Years On Trailer

We mark 20 years since the US-led invasion of Iraq with a special podcast series, examining the era which shaped a generation. We feature stories, reflections and experiences from Iraq, 2003, the present and the future. 1d9287aa240487760d53c82e1f8c29945fd2ee6c

Trailer

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1 min
16/03/2023

Episode 3: ‘A new world order’

America's decision to go to war in 2003 and remove the regime of Saddam Hussein has shaped much of the century for Iraq, the region, the United States and arguably the world. In this episode, host Mina Al-Oraibi discusses how the world has changed since the US-led invasion with Emma Sky, founding director of Yale's International Leadership Centre, Douglas A. Silliman, president of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and the ambassador to Iraq from 2016-2019, and, Paul Salem, President and CEO of the Middle East Institute based in Washington. This episode was produced by Doaa Farid, editing and sound design by Arthur Eddyson, music by Naseer Shamma

16/03/2023

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31 min
27/12/2024

After a year of conflict, could 2025 be the year of resolution in the Middle East?

There’s no doubt that the events of 2024 have changed the Middle East. Israel’s continued war in Gaza has caused a ripple effect across the region. Multi-front conflicts over the past year have stoked the rise and fall of non-state actors backed by Iran. The geopolitical impacts of this are already starting to materialise, some concerning and others promising. The question of Palestine – unresolved for decades – has become an international priority as more countries recognise it officially as a state. In Lebanon and Syria, power dynamics are shifting after the weakening of Hezbollah and the fall of president Bashar Al Assad. At the same time, Israel is seizing territories across its border in unprecedented land grabs. And Iran’s role in the region has arrived at a critical crossroads as its proxy project begins to falter. For the millions in the Arab world, a sense of apprehension is overshadowed only by the extreme fatigue of bearing witness to unbearable human suffering. But there’s also hope, dim as it may be, as talks inch closer to a ceasefire in Gaza. In the last episode of Beyond the Headlines this year, host Nada AlTaher speaks to The National’s foreign editor Mohamad Ali Harisi to reflect on the most significant events in the Middle East that defined 2024 and how they might shape the region in 2025.

27/12/2024

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23 min
16/03/2023

Episode 2: ’My father was taken from us’

When politicians, journalists, academics and others talk of the 2003 war in Iraq, they often speak in numbers, the money it cost, the estimated number of people killed and injured, the number of foreign troops stationed there, and so on. But for Iraqis, the conversation is often about what cannot be measured in numbers: the immense sense of loss, the dashed hopes and the trauma of compounded crises that predate 2003. In this episode, Iraqi energy expert Ali Al-Saffar speaks in a personal capacity about his father’s kidnapping in 2006, how he remembers him and how little is known about him since that fateful day. This episode was produced by Doaa Farid, editing and sound design by Arthur Eddyson, music by Naseer Shamma.

16/03/2023

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21 min
15/11/2024

What will Donald Trump’s presidency change for Palestinians?

Donald Trump will return to the White House in January as the 47th American president, and the Middle East is waiting to see whether and how he can end the wars in the region. Many Palestinians in Gaza say they are not optimistic about the new US administration and worry the situation might take a turn for the worse after Mr Trump is inaugurated. Their concerns are rooted in decisions he made during his first term as president when he moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and cut more than $200 million in funding to the UN refugee agency UNRWA. He also revealed his Peace to Prosperity plan to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict in 2020. But it was strongly rejected by Palestinians, not only because it was drawn up without their input, but also because it revoked important rights that Palestinians have been asking for and allowed for illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank to be incorporated into Israel. But the political landscape in the Middle East today is drastically different from four years ago and Mr Trump has a lot of new factors to consider. At the same time, he is viewed as a transactional leader and a dealmaker who may be more capable of ending the war. This week on Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Dalal Iriqat, associate professor of diplomacy at the Arab American University Palestine, and to Ghaith Al-Omari, senior fellow at the Washington Institute, about what a Trump presidency could mean for Palestinians in the short and long term. They discuss how his policies might change in his second term and whether there can be any prospect for peace and security in Palestine, Israel and the region.

15/11/2024

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20 min
10/10/2024

Will Israel strike Iran – and if so, how and when?

Since the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah at the end of September, Israel has expanded its air strike campaign in Lebanon and launched a ground invasion. It has also struck Yemen and Syria in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has launched a series of rocket attacks towards Israel, which for the most part have been intercepted. At the same time, the war in Gaza is continuing as Israel devastates the north of the enclave. The other major escalation was Iran directly striking Israel with ballistic missiles for the second time since April. Israel has now vowed to strike back. But when and how? Until now, Iran has relied on its proxy groups in the Middle East. At first, it was unthinkable that any major world power would want to get involved in a war of that scale. Neither the US nor Iran seemed to want to venture to that point of no return. However, tensions have escalated. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher looks at the potential consequences of these recent escalations. We hear from Paul Salem, vice president for International Engagement at the Middle East Institute, and Dr Sanam Vakil, Middle East and North Africa programme director at Chatham House. They analyse how Israel could respond and the geopolitical risks the warring sides may or may not consider. Beyond The Headlines has been nominated in this year's Signal Awards in the News & Politics category. Click here to vote for the podcast.

10/10/2024

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19 min
26/07/2024

Israel's first attack on Yemen – what happens next?

Residents in the Yemeni city of Hodeidah woke up last Sunday to plumes of black smoke filling the skies. Israel had just struck the port, a main artery for the city, killing nine people and injuring more than 80 others after hitting a fuel depot. The attack came a day after a Houthi drone hit Tel Aviv, killing one person. For months the international community has been cautioning against further spillovers from the war in Gaza. The Houthis have been routinely launching drone strikes at southern Israel and attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea. At the same time, Israel is engaged in cross-border attacks with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and has also locked its targets on Syria. But this latest attack on Hodeidah is the first time Israel has hit Yemen directly, marking an unprecedented escalation between the two sides. In this week’s Beyond the Headlines, Nada AlTaher hosts a discussion with Abdul Ghani Al-Iryani, senior researcher at the Sana'a Centre for Strategic Studies, and Kobi Michael, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, and asks, will the latest attacks provoke a full-scale war in the region?

26/07/2024

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23 min

Listen to interviews and insights from the Middle East and around the world. The National news podcasts cover the latest news, business and personal finance, and include Webby honouree Beyond the Headlines.