Four Arab films make the Academy Awards international feature film shortlist

“The Voice of Hind Rajab” is directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. (AFP)
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Updated 17 December 2025
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Four Arab films make the Academy Awards international feature film shortlist

DUBAI: The Academy Awards international feature film shortlist has been announced, with four films from the Middle East selected among the 15 titles announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The shortlisted films from the region include Iraq’s “The President’s Cake,” directed by Hasan Hadi; Tunisia’s Gaza-set “The Voice of Hind Rajab” by Kaouther Ben Hania; Palestine’s “Palestine 36,” Annemarie Jacir’s sweeping historical epic set during the Arab revolt of the 1930s; and Jordan’s “All That’s Left of You,” an intergenerational family drama by Cherien Dabis.

The titles appear alongside a diverse international selection, including Argentina’s “Belen,” Brazil’s “The Secret Agent,” France’s “It Was Just an Accident,” Germany’s “Sound of Falling,” India’s “Homebound,” Japan’s “Kokuho,” Norway’s “Sentimental Value,” South Korea’s “No Other Choice,” Spain’s “Sirat,” Switzerland’s “Late Shift” and Taiwan’s “Left-Handed Girl.”

“Sirat,” directed by Oliver Laxe, was filmed in Morocco and stars Algerian-Turkish actress Jade Oukid. Meanwhile, “It Was Just an Accident” was directed by acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi.

Final nominations will be announced in January, with the 98th Academy Awards set to be held on March 15, 2026.

“The Voice of Hind Rajab,” “Palestine 36,” and “All That’s Left of You” also screened at December’s Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia.


Amr Diab and Sherine top Spotify list of 2025 MENA artists

Updated 17 December 2025
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Amr Diab and Sherine top Spotify list of 2025 MENA artists

  • Egyptian stars and icon Fairuz continue to resonate in region
  • Artists shaping rap, mahraganat, hybrid sounds feature

DUBAI: Spotify has released its list of the Top Middle East and North Africa artists and songs globally, shaped by streams from listeners both inside and outside the region, offering a snapshot of how MENA music travelled in 2025.

Topping the global MENA artists list is Amr Diab, a mainstay of Arab pop. He also led Egypt’s Wrapped this year, while his catalogue — spanning both older hits and newer releases — continued to draw sustained global engagement.

The return of “Tamally Maak” to the global Top Tracks list underlines the lasting appeal of his music across generations.

Sherine is one of the year’s most emotionally resonant voices with four tracks in the global Top 10. Her classics “Kalam Eineh,” “El Watar El Hassas” and “3la Bali,” alongside her newer release “Btmanna Ansak,” reached listeners from Egypt to Germany and the UK.

Spotify data shows her catalogue maintaining a strong, personal connection with audiences throughout 2025.

Regional classics also featured prominently. Nancy Ajram’s early-2000s hit “Ya Tabtab Wa Dallaa” found renewed popularity in markets including Indonesia and Turkiye, while Khaled’s “C’est la vie” continued to cross borders, resonating with listeners from France to India.

Fairuz remained a fixture in daily listening habits, anchoring morning and coffee playlists across the Arab world and the diaspora.

Beyond pop, artists shaping rap, mahraganat and hybrid sounds maintained strong global visibility.

ElGrandeToto, Morocco’s Top Artist on Spotify from 2020 to 2025, continued to spotlight the evolution of Moroccan hip-hop, which in 2025 blended rai, chaabi and local rhythms with trap influences.

His collaboration with Spanish-Moroccan rapper Morad, “Ojos Sin Ver,” featured on the global MENA Top Tracks list, highlighting the genre’s cross-regional and European appeal.

Egyptian rapper Marwan Pablo also remained a prominent global presence, recognized for his introspective approach within the country’s hip-hop scene.

Mahraganat artists Essam Sasa and Eslam Kabonga appeared in the global rankings as well, underscoring the genre’s expanding reach beyond its local roots.

The global MENA Top Tracks list included “KALAMANTINA,” a collaboration between Saint Levant and Marwan Moussa that blends hip-hop and pop within a hybrid electro-shaabi sound.