Culture Bites

In this special live edition of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews look back at the past 20 years that shaped one of the UAE’s most significant fairs: Art Dubai. In this episode, Art Dubai director Dunja Gottweis and Emirati artist and designer Azza Al Qubaisi join the hosts for a conversation about the evolution of the event, as well as the country’s flourishing art scene over the past two decades. They talk about the legacy of the fair and its role in championing talent from the Middle East and wider Global Sout...

This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss the Venice Biennale, exploring highlights from this year’s edition and the controversies surrounding the event. The 61st exhibition, titled In Minor Keys, brings together pavilions from around the world. The hosts put the spotlight on the UAE’s Washwasha exhibition, which explores sound, memory and identity, as well as regional contributions including Syria’s participation and an independent Palestinian exhibition featuring traditional tatreez embroidery. Enas and Farah also unpack the political tensions around the event, including backlash to a statement form jurors about...

This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews unpack the biggest viral moments from this year’s Coachella festival. Among the most talked-about performances was the set by The Strokes, which featured a montage referencing world leaders removed from power by US interventions. The political imagery sparked debate about the role of activism on the festival stage. The hosts also react to the return of Justin Bieber and the heart-warming moment he shared when he sang to long-time “Belieber” Billie Eilish on stage. On the internet, another popular moment captured the hearts of peo...

This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about the initiatives in the UAE working to support independent artists and small businesses. While the conflict in the region has made it challenging for creators, start-up entrepreneurs and local brands to keep operating as normal, a number of community-led efforts are offering support. For example, Alserkal Avenue in Dubai is inviting businesses in need of a space, also offering to help them with marketing and public programmes. Farah also tells Enas about food photographer John Marsland who has volunteered to give portrait...

In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about the creative ways the entertainment industry is adapting to disruptions in the events calendar. Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena is hosting a shopping clearance sale this week to keep the venue running. After some of its scheduled concerts were postponed due to the regional war, staff quickly pivoted from live events to retail, offering shoppers free entry and attractive prices. Enas and Farah talk about the increased community support for local brands and businesses in the UAE to help them overcome the uncertainty. ...

This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews share their thoughts on the newly launched UK version of Saturday Night Live. The first episode of the British adaptation of the sketch comedy show received better reviews than expected after its broadcast last weekend. Some of the most popular segments shared online feature veteran SNL cast member Tina Fey hosting the monologue and an impersonation of sir David Attenborough hosting a dinner party with celebrated British personalities. Farah tells Enas why she initially had low expectations for SNL UK but later changed her mind. ...

This week on Culture Bites, host Farah Andrews is joined by The National's culture reporter Faisal Al Zaabi to discuss their reactions to this year’s Oscars. One Battle After Another took home the most awards at the 98th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson. Michael B Jordan won Best Actor for his role in Sinners while Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for Hamnet. Farah and Faisal share their thoughts on which wins and snubs were most deserved. They also talk about some of the bold statements on stage, su...

This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and guest host Faisal Al Zaabi, The National's culture reporter, reflect on a new Netflix documentary revisiting the hit 2000s reality show America’s Next Top Model. The docuseries, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, features interviews with former contestants, judges and host Tyra Banks. It has reignited debate about the fashion industry's standards at the time and the treatment of young models on the programme. Enas and Faisal discuss criticism of the show's pursuit of ratings at the expense of contestants’ well-being, and question whether its cr...

In this episode of Culture Bites, The National’s music and culture journalist Saeed Saeed is back, this time joining Enas Refaei to discuss Ramadan TV. Every year during the holy month, households across the Arab world tune in to watch the most popular comedies, dramas and talk shows of the season. Over time, networks – and now streaming platforms – have invested bigger budgets into Ramadan specials, as audiences spend more time watching television after iftar and late into the night. Enas and Saeed discuss how this cultural phenomenon became so dominant in the region and share...

This week on Culture Bites, Farah Andrews is joined by guest host Saeed Saeed, The National’s music and culture journalist. After much acclaim and debate over Bad Bunny’s half-time Super Bowl show, the hosts reflect on its massive worldwide appeal. They discuss the powerful cultural messages layered through the Puerto Rican artist’s viral performance, described as a celebration of Latin American culture. But they also question whether the half-time performances have lost some of their magic as they evolve into polished productions made for a digital audience rather than fans at the venue. Farah and Sa...

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about a new initiative in Abu Dhabi to attract art collectors. The scheme announced by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi will waive customs duties for artworks brought in for at least three years. Designed to be more than a financial incentive, the programme prioritises cultural investment in the emirate, building on its reputation as a hub for the arts. Farah and Enas point to similar schemes that have been successful and share tips for aspiring art collectors. In th...

This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews sit down with chef and author Asma Khan during the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai. Born and raised in India, Asma later moved to the UK where she eventually opened her highly acclaimed restaurant, Darjeeling Express. She became the first British chef to be featured on the Netflix documentary series, Chef’s Table. She tells the hosts she insisted her all-female team be featured on the show, as part of her mission to celebrate women, who typically do most of the cooking across cultures but seldom r...

In this episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews explore Abu Dhabi’s heritage through Al Hosn Festival, which runs until February 1. They are joined by Farah Al Bakoush, acting director of Intangible Cultural Heritage at Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism, to discuss the highlights of this year’s event. She provides a sneak peek of the interactive activations not to be missed, including a heritage escape room. She also tells the podcast hosts about the crafts demonstrations, music and live cooking stations that are designed to celebrate Emirati identity and cult...

This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews host contemporary artist Werner Bronkhorst ahead of his first exhibition in Dubai. The 24-year-old South Africa-born Australian painter talks about the global premiere of his new collection, Crack, which will be on display at Concrete in Alserkal Avenue from January 16 to 18. Even at his young age, Bronkorst’s work has become massively popular, appealing to people all over the world. The Sydney-based artist is known for his technique of drawing realistic paintings of miniature people and objects on abstract backgrounds, which are created using thick la...

In this episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei is joined by UAE-based musician Ghazi Al Mulaifi to talk about the traditions of Kuwaiti pearl-diving music that inspired his band, Boom.Diwan. Ghazi tells Enas about his own family history of pearl diving and the intrigue it sparked in him. The rich cultural practice was also an arduous one, marked by long perilous journeys and hardship. Music was an important component to boost morale and help the divers prepare for their working day. Boom.Diwan revives these rhythms in a Khaleeji jazz-fusion style that Ghazi describes as experimental.<...

In this season finale of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews reflect on the culture-defining moments that had the biggest impact on them in 2025. The hosts share their favourite movies, TV series and books from the past year, with a look back at both fiction and non-fiction titles. They also highlight their most memorable art institution visits. Enas describes what it was like stepping into the Grand Egyptian Museum ahead of its history-making opening this year. Farah talks about her journey at Nomad Abu Dhabi, which transformed the decommissioned Terminal 1 of Zayed International Airport into a...

In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews explore how cultural heritage is preserved, celebrated and carried forward, from one of the UAE’s newly opened museums to the living traditions recognised by Unesco. The episode opens at the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi, where Farah records from inside the new landmark on Saadiyat Island. In that segment, Moaza Matar, director of the curatorial and collections management department at the museum, explains how the galleries were developed to reflect the nation’s journey, from ancient history and maritime life to the...

In this episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews reveal their Spotify Wrapped summaries, each with their own listening age plot twist. The end-of-year stats delivered by Spotify and other similar audio streaming platforms have become popular among users over the years. Enas and Farah dig through their listening habits to understand why people love to learn about their own personalities. While the over-mining of user data is generally controversial, Spotify Wrapped has managed to turn information into a fun experience that people love to share publicly. This time of year also marks...

This week, Culture Bites celebrates its 100th episode from the newly-opened Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi. Hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews tour the sprawling space in Saadiyat Cultural District and explore the 13.8-billion-year story of the universe. They speak to the museum’s director Peter Kjaergaard about the emotional connection to the natural world that he wants visitors to experience. He tells them about the hidden gems worth discovering beyond some of the main highlights, including surprise easter eggs placed across the museum. The key message, he says, is for people to recognise the power to cr...

This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews visit the Abu Dhabi Art fair and speak to some of the artists whose work caught their eye. The Beyond Emerging Artists programme features up-and-coming UAE-based talents, and this year it is curated by renowned Syrian artist Issam Kourbaj. He speaks to Enas about working with the participants to bring their installations to life, and he gives a preview of his own showcase within the fair’s Gateway exhibition, a commentary on the burdens and inevitability of migration. On a related theme, Farah explores the in...