Rolling Stone MENA - Music, Film, TV and Political News Coverage

Cultural Bridges & Sonic Traffic

House of Yanos Built an Embassy for African Music in Dubai

Inside House of Yanos, the creative collective that made African music’s arrival in Dubai feel like a homecoming.

Second Thoughts

No Clear Way Out: How Iranians View U.S. Intervention Six Weeks In

How six weeks of war, economic strain, and escalating threats have reshaped Iranian sentiments on U.S. intervention in Iran.

By Shirin Hakim & Diba Mohtasham

Binge Therapy

Binge Therapy: 24 Titles to Stream in MENA This April

Rolling Stone MENA’s monthly streaming guide to the films, TV series, and documentaries available across platforms in the MENA region.

By Yasmina Bitar

Decolonized Self

Nene H’s Primal Techno Rebirth on Second Skin

Turkish producer Nene H opens up about grief, club politics, and finding liberation through techno on Second Skin.

By Bhanuj Kappal

Fear & LOLing

Fear and LOLing: Arab Political Satire in The Age of Absurdity

From full-fledged newsrooms to a one-man IG parody account, inside the three outlets reviving Arab political satire.

By Adam Makary

Raï & Wrong

Faudel: The End of Exile and the Price of Politics

By Dounia El Barhdadi

AIstanbul

CES Is Making Istanbul Look Like Itself

By Arnaud Pessey

Soft Launch

Yonyo Softens the Rough Edges on ‘Beny w Benak’

On “Beny w Benak,” Yonyo leans into romantic pop, previewing a softer, more melodic direction for his upcoming EP.

By Rolling Stone MENA Staff

In Bad Taste

(Ma) Bdna Nrou

Against a long history of political and protest music, Salma Mousa asks why Arab pop today insists we chill when we should rage.

By Salma Mousa

Syrr, Spilled

Maryam Saleh’s Syrr Is the Revivalist Album We’ve Been Waiting For

Maryam Saleh’s Syrr is the revivalist album Arabic music has been waiting for – intimate, effortless, and deeply felt.

By Ammar Manla Hasan

Future Radar

Rolling Stone MENA Future Radar 2026: 25 Artists to Watch

Rolling Stone MENA unveils its inaugural Future Radar list – an annual franchise spotlighting 25 regional voices driving the future of Arab music.

By Reda El Mor

MUSIC

“Ghannaki Al Qalb”: A Triumph and Turning Point in Arabic Opera

There is more to “Ghannaki Al Qalb” (“My Heart Sings to You”) by international tenor Amine Hachem than is apparent…

By Ethan Stone

Hormuz, Reopened

Iran Reopens The Strait of Horumuz

Following the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Iran announced on Friday the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.

By Rolling Stone MENA Staff

Israel's Eternal Darkness

Israel Jeopardizes Truce by Launching ‘Eternal Darkness’ on Lebanon

The Israeli bombardment campaign has resulted in 70 confirmed deaths and over 200 injuries.

By Rolling Stone MENA Staff

Winners & Losers

Trump’s Iran War Has Clear Winners and Losers

After weeks of intensive strikes, Iran is emerging from the war with potentially more sovereignty, fewer sanctions, and a weaker opposition.

By Ammar Manla Hasan

Hell & Cold Water

The Complete Hell-ification of Israeli Prisons for Palestinians

A new Israeli law permitting the execution of Palestinian prisoners adds to a brutal system officials themselves have called “hell.”

By Naqaa Hamed

Noose Politics

Noose Politics: What the Death Penalty Means for the West Bank’s Future

A new Israeli law mandating executions in military courts could reshape the conflict and close one of its last political channels.

By Ahmed Amin

Hustlers & High Ratings

Heroes, Hustlers, and High Ratings: The Mohamed Samy Era of Egyptian TV

A look back at fifteen years of Mohamed Samy’s directing during the most prolific production era in Egyptian television.

By Youssef Ali

Egy Ma3lesh

Egybest Sacrifices Its Original Story on the Altar of Eid Cinema

A promising piracy drama slips into formula, as Egybest trades a rich story for safe, trope-heavy Eid entertainment.

By Ammar Manla Hasan

Law & Wasta

A Solid Second Season: Sahbek Rajel Continues to Explore Police as Workplace

Sahbek Rajel turns the police into a workplace comedy, exposing power, class, and street influence inside the institution.

By Youssef Ali

Slow Decay

Hekayet Narges Refuses the Easy Villain

A well-rounded and textured Ramadan drama, Hekayet Narges looks past the crime to the society that made it possible.

By Ammar Manla Hasan

Oops, AI Did It Again

Beyond the Backlash: What Do We Do About AI in Ramadan TV?

This Ramadan’s AI controversy isn’t hysteria. It’s a demand for clarity before standards quietly erode.

By Ahmed Amin

(Sub)Culture

5 Entrepreneurs Redefining Success in 2026

Success looks very different in 2026 than it did even a few years ago. Today’s most influential entrepreneurs are no…

By Chris Gallagher

(Sub)Culture

Sovereign Diversification and the Ambition Economy Rising Across MENA

The Middle East and North Africa are no longer emerging markets. They are acceleration markets. Across Dubai’s financial corridors, Riyadh’s…

By Anthony Burr

(Sub)Culture

Beyond the Graft: The 5 Pillars of a Modern Hair Transplant Standard

In recent years, hair transplants have changed significantly, moving beyond the old way of just transplanting hair follicles. Today’s hair…

By Chris Gallagher

Cultural Frequency

How Qatar Turned the Arab World’s Biggest Football Night Into a Song the Region Could Hear

On Qatar’s approach to transforming global sporting moments into platforms for shared Arab cultural expression.

By Rolling Stone MENA Staff

Books Without Borders

Amazon Launches The Digital Arabic Library with 38,000+ Titles

Arabic books go global as Amazon launches the Digital Arabic Library, bringing 38,000+ Arabic titles to readers worldwide.

By Rolling Stone MENA Staff

TECH

How the Hint App Repositions Astrology as Emotional Insight, Not Fortune Telling

Across digital culture, astrology and symbolic systems have returned to everyday use. This time, the focus is not on predicting…

By Matthew Kayser

TECH

Intelligence and Aesthetics for Growth with MyIQ

Intelligence seems to have become an aesthetic. While dark academia styling trends handle appearance-based intelligence, what books you’re reading, by…

By Ethan Stone

TECH

Cadiz Inc. Maps a Practical Path to Southwest Water Security

If you ask Cadiz Inc. what progress looks like, they point to pipes, permits, and people served. The company’s work…

By Chris Gallagher

Democratizing Longevity

Democratized Longevity? UK Startup Bien-Être Tests It in the UAE

UK startup Bien-Être enters the UAE, testing whether longevity tech can become everyday health rather than a luxury for the wealthy.

By Rolling Stone MENA Staff

TECH

CoinTerminal Shows Transparency Can Be Rewarding with Its $10,000 Monthly Prize

Crypto has never been short on opportunity, but it has often lacked trust. CoinTerminal’s $10,000 monthly prize aims to change…

By Anthony Burr

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