Culture Bites

This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Maan Jalal break down the appeal of Netflix’s new show, The Perfect Couple. The murder mystery follows the lives of the wealthy Winbury family on the day of their son’s wedding, when one of the guests is found dead on the beach. The Perfect Couple has become Netflix's most popular show in the UAE since its release last week. The Culture Bites hosts...

What can the evolution of languages tell us about a place and time in history? In this week’s Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei, Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal draw inspiration from the multi-volume Arabic-Latin dictionary project led by Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, and discuss common root words across languages. They draw links between Arabic and Latin languages, li...

In this week's episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei, Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal imagine what it would be like if art were appreciated not just visually, but also through scent. Inspired by a project at the National Museum in Krakow, The National speaks to curators at Louvre Abu Dhabi to decipher the smell of selected pieces in their collection. Considering the era, materials used, the con...

In this week's episode of the Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei, Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal break down the press tour drama surrounding new film It Ends with Us. Beyond reported rifts on set between lead actress Blake Lively and co-star and director Justin Baldoni, critics are unimpressed with Lively’s movie marketing approach. Farah points out the problematic disparity between the film’s...

Enas Refaei is back for this episode of Culture Bites, joining Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal to preview the popular 1990s and 2000s music artists coming to the UAE this season. The Backstreet Boys are returning to Abu Dhabi this October, a little more than a year since their last performance in the capital. But they are not the only act bringing nostalgia to town this autumn. The hosts look ahead t...

This week on Culture Bites podcast, hosts Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal give a roundup of House of the Dragon as season two ends. With eight episodes, it was already short, but the finale also left the hosts feeling short changed. They review the show and discuss the challenges of adapting fantasy novels into TV series. With the Olympics almost coming to a close, Farah and Maan uncover a lesser kno...

It’s a special summer edition of Culture Bites this week. To mark the halfway point of the year, hosts Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal take the opportunity to look back at their favourite cultural experiences so far. From books and movies to art exhibitions and music concerts, the hosts share their top picks in a moment to celebrate all the year has had to offer. They discuss some of the biggest pop...

In this week's episode of Culture Bites, hosts Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal highlight some of their top picks from this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. With Shogun and The Bear leading the race, the hype has officially begun ahead of the awards ceremony taking place on September 15. To mark the tragic passing of Iranian contemporary artist Farhad Moshiri, Maan and Farah pay tribute to th...

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Maan Jalal discuss the up-and-coming true crime genre in the Arab world with the release of the docuseries, Dark Minds. The show details some of the most heinous murders from across the region, featuring interviews and dramatic re-enactments. Enas shares a glimpse of the episode she started watching and Maan steers the conversation tow...

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei, Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal share highlights from this year's Amman International Film Festival, where a an impressive roster of documentaries and dramas from Arab filmmakers are being screened, and have already got global conversation going. The hosts share some of the titles worth watching including My Sweet Land and Bye, Bye T...

In this week’s episode of the Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about all the moments when the Palestinian cause was front and centre at Glastonbury Music Festival in the UK, from the flags to the references from Coldplay, Damin Albarn, Charlotte Church and Arab region’s 47Soul. Farah then covers the recent controversy in Switzerland around a 2012 artwork created by S...

In this week’s episode of the Culture Bites podcast, host Farah Andrews is back, joining Enas Refaei and Maan Jalal. Farah has a lot to say about Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, having attended an Edinburgh concert. The hosts chat about the intense energy of Swifties, which registered seismic activity recorded up to 6km away, and highlights from the night. The hosts list of the notable theatre shows and...

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Maan Jalal sit down with rising Bollywood star Taha Shah Badussha to discuss his starring role in one of the biggest shows of the year – Netflix's Heermandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Badussha’s journey has been shaped by the UAE in many ways. He was born and grew up in Abu Dhabi, then studied entrepreneurship at the American University of S...

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Maan Jalal talk about the rise and function of opera houses in Dubai, Sharjah, Riyadh and across Middle East. What significance do these cultural centres in the region hold? And how do they change the fabric of a city's cultural identity? Enas discusses the excitement surrounding the coming release of the sequel to the animated film In...

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Maan Jalal discuss Cate Blanchett’s Jean Paul Gaultier's custom dress at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and whether it was a sign of solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Maan then talks about the exhibition of Syrian artist Khalid Akil entitled The Infinite & The Finite now on show at Ayyam Gallry in Alserkal Avenue until June...

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei, Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal discuss a digital movement that has taken over the internet, urging social media users to block celebrities who have been publicly silent about the war in Gaza. They explain how the #blockout campaign grew in the days following the Met Gala, how it is affecting the online influence of a number of celebrities a...

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei, Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal talk about global artists showing solidarity with Palestinians through music, with a focus on American rapper Macklemore, who released his new track Hind’s Hall this week. The song, inspired by student protests happening around the world, pays tribute to Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl who was kill...

In this week’s episode of the Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei, Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal start by talking about indoor season kicking off in the UAE, and all the activities and attractions that can be enjoyed in the country, with indoor theme parks, shopping malls and cultural centres. The hosts then turn their attention to jailed Palestinian author Basim Khandaqji, who was announced a...

In this week’s episode of the Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei, Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal discuss the impact of the intense rain and floods that hit the UAE last week, which was the country's largest recorded rainfall in 75 years, with significant disruption felt across the Emirates. They also highlight the community efforts to support those affected by the severe weather. The hosts the...

In this week’s episode of the Culture Bites podcast, hosts Farah Andrews and Maan Jalal start with a recap of the prestigious Dubai World Cup, held at Meydan Racecourse last week, chatting about the glamour and fashion highlights of one of Dubai's biggest showcases. The hosts turn their attention to Beyonce’s new album, Cowboy Carter, and discuss their favourite tracks on it as the artist ventures...

In this week’s episode of the Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about theme parks, Lindsay Lohan's new film Irish Wish, the much-anticipated return of Jacqueline Wilson's Girls in Love book series and the pressure social media can put on mental health. After the news that the first Dragon Ball theme park will be built in Saudi Arabia, and will feature locations from t...

In this week’s episode of the Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about Mother's Day in the region, which is celebrated on March 21. Enas reflects on motherhood and why it’s important to celebrate mothers, and the hosts discuss statements on motherhood made by British star Lily Allen, who has spoken recently of how becoming a mum affected her music career. The hosts the...

In this week’s episode of the Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews delve into the significance of Ramadan for Muslims worldwide, exploring its spiritual and communal aspects.   Enas shares her personal experience of fasting this year, and talks about Ramadan and the TV season in the Arab region, with a focus on popular soap operas and how people gather around it. Farah discus...

In this week’s episode of the Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews share some highlights from the Culture Summit , which was held in Abu Dhabi this week, and how it brought together leaders from various countries from diverse backgrounds.   Enas also talks about her visit to the new Bassam Freiha Art Foundation on Saadiyat Island, and the pieces showcased at the Echoes of the...

In this week's episode of the Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei and Maan Jalal are at Art Dubai to talk about the biggest art fair in the region and what to expect when it opens to the public. They also talk to Emirati artist Sarah Almehairi about Encounters, a new exhibition which is part of the Dubai Collection at the art fair. Maan also gets into Art Week across the UAE and the shows at...