contributors

Arabic unexpectedly brings people together

Learning the language can become a useful tool for Lebanon’s migrant domestic workers

Rights & dissent Beirut

Tens of thousands of migrant domestic workers work in Lebanon. For them, learning Arabic becomes a tool for empowerment and freedom.

Saudade

The story of a young Lebanese filmmaker in Cannes

Culture Beirut

Pharmacologist by day, filmmaker by night, Yasmine Ghorayeb directed her 1st short movie, Saudade, selected to the 65th Cannes Festival’s Short Film Corner.

Alaa Wardi

The YouTube prodigy

Culture Riyadh

Meet Iranian-born, Riyadh-based Alaa Wardi — a moving instrument, producing all his music with only his voice and body.

3al6ayer

YouTube comedy made in KSA

CultureSociety Jeddah

3al6ayer — with 16 million viewers on YouTube — has sparked a small (yet huge) humour revolution among Saudi Arabia’s online youth.

Top Goon

Diaries of a Little Dictator

Rights & dissent Damascus

Meet Beesho, a caricature of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, and the star character of satire finger puppet show ‘Top Goon, Diaries of a Little Dictator’.

FIKR10’s inspiring participants

Portraits of young Arab leaders

Society Dubai

Even though most of the speakers of the FIKR10 conference were the older and traditional ones, young participants marked their presence with their initiatives, making their voices heard.

Giving a voice to those who lost it

'Hush'

Rights & dissentSociety Ramallah

Samar Hazboun about filming and documenting violence against women and a shelter house in Palestine

Malikah

The queen of Arabic hiphop

CultureSociety Beirut

Lebanon’s Malikah is putting hip hop on the regional map.

Music through Tanya’s lense

Culture Beirut

Tanya Traboulsi is a staunch supporter of the Lebanese underground scene. She also represents it: for years, she has been taking pictures of its development.

You have the right to remain silent

Being a Saudi blogger

Rights & dissent Riyadh

In Saudi Arabia, authorities are busy fighting against “immorality” online — and potentially, anything could be censored.