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

Blessed Pop

How Islam’s First Female Saint Inspired Rosalía’s ‘La Yugular’

How Rabia Al Adawiyya shaped the spiritual core of Rosalía’s ‘La Yugular,’ a track titled after a Qur’anic verse.

Zeitgeist Forecaster

15 Years Later, ‘Microphone’ Still Finds Its Voice in Egypt’s Youth

In 2010, Microphone foresaw Egypt’s revolution and a decade of cultural and social change. Is its prophecy still resonant today?

By Ahmed Amin

GFF Coverage

A Window That Refuses to Close: Window on Palestine at GFF

Window on Palestine returns for its third edition at El Gouna Film Festival – a bold act of cinematic and cultural grounding.

By Maram Khenissi

GFF COVERAGE

‘Samra’s Dollhouse’ Blurs Love, Control, and Performance At GFF

Tunisian filmmaker Maïssa Lihedheb’s ‘Samra’s Dollhouse’ redefines power, desire, and the female gaze at GFF.

By Maram Khenissi

Cover Story

THE STRENGTH OF SOFTNESS: ALSARAH IS MAKING MUSIC FOR A BORDERLESS WORLD

Alsarah’s evolving artistry blends ancestral sound, diaspora politics, and a bold vision for a borderless musical future.

By Zahra Hankir

The First Rolling Stone Rooftop and the Rebirth of Georgia’s Cultural Story

By Josh Wilson

Cover Story

40 Over 40: OVO’s Noah “40” Shebib On Lebanon, Grief, Palestine, And Collective Liberation

By Yassin "NARCY" Alsalman

Game Meets Game

Wegz and Mounir’s ‘Kalam Forsan’ Is a Turning Point for Aqareb

On paper, a Wegz and Mohamed Mounir collab should define the year – but how does “Kalam Forsan” actually land?

By Rolling Stone MENA Staff

MUSIC

Ex Okay: Thirteen Years of Evolution and the Art of Playing the Long Game

Rock music has always thrived on myth — the sudden rise, the unexpected breakthrough, the band that seems to find…

By Ethan Stone

Florence Welch / Thea Traff for Rolling Stone

The Rolling Stone Interview

FLORENCE WELCH: ‘ANXIETY IS THE HUM OF MY LIFE — UNTIL I STEP ONSTAGE’

The Florence + the Machine star opens up on the “life-and-death experience” behind her excellent new album, working with Taylor Swift, and why she’s looking forward to turning 40.

By Rolling Stone Staff

Post-Mahragan?

Double Zuksh’s ‘Kol 7aga Ok’ Asks What’s Next for Mahraganat

Double Zuksh’s Kol 7aga Ok reveals both the ambition and uncertainty of a genre still negotiating what comes next.

By Rolling Stone MENA Staff

Political Rap Odyssey

El Rass Drops Awe-Inspiring Album Sikket El Rouh

El Rass’s Sikket El Rouh is a two-sided rap odyssey blending sharp political commentary, nasheed-like cadences, and monumental production.

By Rolling Stone MENA Staff

Nation Defining Trial

Post-Assad Syria’s Most Crucial Trial Isn’t About Assad’s Crimes

Trials begin in Syria over sectarian and state violence, raising questions about transitional justice and the country’s fragile transition.

By Rolling Stone MENA Staff

Miss Muammar, winner of the Global Creative Women Award (GCWA) 2021, teaches her students at UNRWA Fukhari Elementary Girls school in Gaza / 2022 UNRWA Photo

Women At The Table

Trump’s Gaza Plan Mustn’t Follow His Record on Women’s Rights

Trump’s 20-points Gaza peace plan shouldn’t repeat his domestic failures on women’s health, education, and rights.

By Dr. Felicity Gerry

Saleh Aljafarawi was killed by an armed gang in Gaza city

False Peace

Saleh Aljafarawi’s Killing Shows Ceasefire Isn’t The End

The killing of Saleh Aljafarawi exposes the fragility of Gaza’s ceasefire.

By Rolling Stone MENA Staff

Palestinians celebrate announcement of peace plan agreement in Khan Younis in southern Gaza in this screengrab obtained from a video.

Historic Moment

Early Celebrations as Trump Announces Agreement to First Phase of Gaza Deal

Gazans are hopeful that Trump’s announcement will mark the end of two years and two days of the gruesome war.

By Rolling Stone Staff

POLITICS

Sinéad O’Connor and the Weaponization of Hunger: What if she Sang for Gaza, Yemen, and Sudan?

If Sinéad O’Connor were around today, watching the children of Gaza, Yemen, and Sudan starve, her outrage would be incandescent.…

By Dr. Felicity Gerry

Exclusive

Watermelon Pictures Wants To Be The Future Of Palestinian Representation In Hollywood

From “The Voice of Hind Rajab” to “The Encampments”, co-founders Hamza and Badie Ali are just getting started.

By Sumayya Tobah

Commentary

The U.S. Military Industrial Complex Has Weaponized Hollywood. Arab Filmmakers Must Fight Back.

Stories of U.S. military strength have infiltrated entertainment.

By Ralph Arida

TV & MOVIES

Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina Created History for Algerian Film in 1975. Fifty Years Later, His Legacy Still Resonates.

Fifty years after winning the prestigious Palme d’Or for his film ‘Chronicle of the Years of Fire’, Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina continues to be the gold standard for Algerian filmmakers.

By Donia Ismail

TV & MOVIES

Is The New ‘Superman’ Movie About Palestine?

Audiences have pointed out some subtle and not-so-subtle allusions between the Man of Steel film and what’s actually happening in Gaza.

By Tamara Turki

TV & MOVIES

“All That’s Left Is Truth”: Cherien Dabis on Her Most Urgent Film Yet

The Palestinian filmmaker and actress talks about her latest project and what it means to tell the truth about Palestine.

By Alya Mooro

Art Deco Reclaimed

Traveling Lotus and Stolen Faience: Egypt’s Art Deco Legacy

Wizara’s Adham Hafez explores Egypt Art Deco, a new project tracing the design movement’s roots in Egyptian history.

By Adham Hafez

Creators on Trail

Egyptian Creator Suzy Sentenced to One Year in Jail Over ‘Inappropriacy’

One of the Arab world’s most influential creators, Suzy faces a one-year prison sentence in her second trial.

By Rolling Stone MENA Staff

sports

MENA Athletes Share The Meaningful Music In Their Lives

Imane Khelif, Abdelrahman Elaraby, and Fadi Eldeeb share what they listen to before a huge competition, what reminds them of home, and a song tied to a turning point in their lives.

By Sophia Shalabi

(Sub)Culture

Meet Kème, The Indie Production House Bringing MENA’s Biggest Stars to the North American Stage

Kème Production is bridging the gap between Middle Eastern talent and their fans abroad, in turn helping to broaden the genre’s reach.

By Diba Mohtasham

Exclusive

How Breakdancing Has Provided A Sanctuary For Children In Gaza

Breakdancing as trauma-informed dance has endured as artistic resistance from the Bronx to Gaza.

By Mariam Bagdady

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

MUSIC

GPM Music Group: A Fresh Take on Music Marketing For Independent Artists

In the evolving landscape of music promotion in the digital age, independent artists often face a familiar dilemma: how to…

By Chris Gallagher

Fitness

Sound, Sweat, and Strategy: The Culture Collision Fueling the Future of Wellness

There’s a new rhythm pulsing through the world of wellness—one where athletes and musicians move in sync, powered by innovation,…

By Chris Gallagher

Middle East

Tax Haven? More like Tech Haven

“I want Dubai to be a place where everybody from all over the world meets each other.” Sheikh Mohammed bin…

By Anthony Burr

TECH

Serial Entrepreneur Lakshay Jain Announces Mascan’s Expansion into African Media Market

In a world defined by rapid technological disruption, artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of nearly every industry, from healthcare…

By Ethan Stone

Lifestyle

FOLLOW US