Arab-American series ‘Ya Bint’ in the works by Disney-owned cable network

Dina Shihabi, a Saudi actress, is one of the writers of the show. (File/AFP)
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Updated 03 August 2020
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Arab-American series ‘Ya Bint’ in the works by Disney-owned cable network

  • The show follows an Arab trio as they struggle with the clash of cultures and the idea that “freedom equals happiness”

DUBAI: Disney-owned US cable network Freeform is launching a new show with an Arab twist that follows three best friends and their new life in Los Angeles.

The show, titled “Ya Bint” which loosely translates to “Hey girl,” centers on Arab-American women Maya, Jumana, and Lara who have moved from their homes in the Middle East to Los Angeles, according to Hollywood Reporter.

It follows the Arab trio as they struggle with the clash of cultures and the idea that “freedom equals happiness.”

Hit series “Empire” executive producers (EP) Danny Strong and Sanaa Hamri will also serve as the show’s EPs, while Dina Shihabi and Rolla Selbak will write it.

Shihabi is a Saudi actress who has appeared in shows such as “Altered Carbon,” “Jack Ryan,” and critically acclaimed comedy “Ramy.” She was the first Middle East-born woman who was accepted into the prestigious acting programs of Julliard and New York University (NYU).


Highlights from Saher Nassar’s ‘Chronicles from the Storm’ exhibition in Dubai

Updated 27 February 2026
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Highlights from Saher Nassar’s ‘Chronicles from the Storm’ exhibition in Dubai

DUBAI: Here are three highlights from Saher Nassar’s ‘Chronicles from the Storm,’ which runs until March 18 at Zawyeh Gallery in Dubai.

‘Chronicles No. 1’

In his latest solo exhibition, the Palestinian artist “reimagines events that push past emotional capacity toward moral exhaustion, questioning the ethical certainty of the human spirit when faced with immense suffering,” according to the show catalogue, with works that “contemplate the devaluation of hope as a fundamental factor of human survival, sometimes revealed as currency for escape, sometimes seen in people resorting to their primal instincts to endure.”

‘Chronicles No. 8’

“Drawing from both personal and collective experiences, the exhibition unfolds as a layered reflection on how repeated trauma reshapes perception, belief, and the instinct to survive,” a press release for the show states. “Nasser translates lived realities into visual studies that move beyond immediate reaction. Rather than seeking resolution or catharsis, the works dwell in a state of moral exhaustion.”

‘Chronicles No. 3’

In “Chronicles from the Storm,” the UAE-based multidisciplinary artist is not attempting to offer answers, the press release suggests; rather, he is “bearing witness” and “inviting viewers to sit with unresolved questions and the uneasy persistence of the human spirit in the aftermath of the storm.” The works on show “carry a restrained intensity, resisting spectacle in favor of contemplation,” the release continues.