The Mayman Show wins best podcast at WAN-IFRA Middle East Awards 2023

Now in its fourth season, the program has featured an array of celebrities and prominent personalities from the Arab world and beyond. (AN/File)
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Updated 05 December 2023
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The Mayman Show wins best podcast at WAN-IFRA Middle East Awards 2023

  • ‘Personable and relatable’ show becomes first award-winning Arab News podcast

LONDON: The Mayman Show, the “personable podcast” by Arab News, has been honored as best podcast at this year’s WAN-IFRA Middle East Awards.

The show is known for its relatable conversations between the host and celebrity guests.

Hussam Al-Mayman, the host and producer, said: “I’m very proud to have The Mayman Show selected in the best podcast category. It has been a very interesting journey that has led me and the team here. We are navigating uncharted territory in terms of news content creation for the Middle East.”

Now in its fourth season, the program has featured an array of celebrities and prominent personalities from the Arab world and beyond, including Saudi Arabia’s first female Olympic sprinter Kariman Abuljadayel and hip-hop artist and actor Qusai Kheder.

Al-Mayman, a former professional in the Saudi communications and media industry and the youngest senior assignment producer for MBC News programs, said that the success of his program lay in building meaningful relationships with guests rather than striving to be the first or number one.

“I am proud to be focused on being the one and only Mayman Show and stay true to my authenticity and bring a personal piece, my guests and myself to every discussion,” he said.

“Thank you for the support, and what you see (or listen to) is what you get. What you haven’t seen is even better yet.”

This year’s WAN-IFRA Middle East Awards witnessed a record-breaking number of entries, marking it as the most competitive season in its history.

Since its digital transformation in 2016, Arab News has consistently led in innovation and expansion of its services. The publication’s transition to a digital-first, 24/7 platform with an award-winning design has garnered numerous design and excellence accolades, but the recognition for The Mayman Show marks a significant milestone as the first podcast award.

In 2023 alone, Arab News secured multiple visual storytelling awards in prestigious competitions, including the Society for News Design Awards, International Newspaper Design Competition, Indigo Awards, and European Newspaper Awards.

For more information about Arab News and its award-winning design, visit arabnews.com/greatesthits


Book by jailed Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti set for November release

Updated 03 February 2026
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Book by jailed Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti set for November release

  • Prison letters, photographs and other documents to feature in the book

DUBAI: A new book by jailed Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti is set for publication in November, with Penguin confirmed as the publisher, The Guardian reported.

Titled “Unbroken: In Pursuit of Freedom for Palestine,” the book brings together a selection of Barghouti’s writings, including prison letters, interviews, public statements, conversations with public figures, and other documents and photographs.

It also features excerpts from his book “1,000 Days in Solitary Confinement,” which has so far only been published in Arabic.

Fadwa Barghouti, who wrote the introduction to the book, said she hoped it would allow the world to hear her husband “in his own voice, not through the noise surrounding him.”

She said in a statement: “This book finally makes that possible — and I hope it helps people understand who Marwan Barghouti truly is, and how he embodies the Palestinian struggle for freedom and dignity.”

Barghouti, who has spent over two decades in Israeli prison, is a member of the Fatah party. He has long advocated a two-state solution and is widely regarded as a powerful and unifying voice for Palestinians, with many supporters describing him as “Palestine’s Mandela.”

His detention has prompted repeated international advocacy efforts over the years.

In December 2025, an open letter calling for his release was signed by hundreds of celebrities, including Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith and Annie Ernaux; actors Sir Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Josh O’Connor, Mark Ruffalo and Stephen Fry; and musicians Sting, Paul Simon, Brian Eno and Annie Lennox.

In November 2025, his family and several UK-based human rights advocates ran a campaign that included demonstrations and public art installations in Palestine and London.

Barghouti has been jailed by Israel since 2004, having been handed five life sentences plus 40 years for his role during the second Palestinian uprising. He has spent significant time in solitary confinement, has been denied visits by his family for three years, and has been denied access to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

His name was on a list of prisoners to be exchanged for Israeli captives in October 2025, but Israel declined to release him.