Join hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews as they guide you through the arts and culture scene in the UAE, the Middle East and around the world. Culture Bites — a two-time award winner recognised in New York and London — brings you fresh perspectives every Thursday from The National News in Abu Dhabi.
When will we be able to watch You Can See Everything in the UAE?
This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews invite The National’s Arts and Culture Editor William Mullally to discuss You Can See Everything, the new documentary film from Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim.
The A24-produced film, which follows disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in the weeks leading up to her US federal prison sentence, has earned an estimated $45.1 million at the US box office – a feat for a documentary. However, the film has yet to secure a release date in many global markets. William explains the reasons why certain films take longer to reach us in theatres and how the wait affects audiences.
Enas and Farah then look at some of the Middle East's biggest archaeological discoveries of 2026 and what they tell us about Arab excellence across the ages. Finally, they leave us with their cultural recommendations for the week.
29 Oct 2026
From AI to empty rooms: What scares us in modern horror?
This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss how the horror genre has evolved to reflect society’s fears as they change over time.
From Get Out and Black Mirror to The Substance, the hosts talk about how horror films tackle issues from racism and artificial intelligence to beauty insecurities. They also look at how regional filmmakers are drawing on local fears and traditions, such as the Emirati film Hoba.
Enas and Farah highlight some other subgenres that have become more popular recently, such as Backrooms, a film about empty, unsettling spaces, and Widow’s Bay, a comedy-horror series.
Their conversation then turns to Abu Dhabi’s modernist architecture from the 1970s and 1980s, and how the government is working to preserve their heritage. This includes famed buildings such as the Abu Dhabi bus station and Al Ibrahimi Tower.
The hosts reflect on how architecture shapes a city's identity and the experiences of those living in it. They also discuss how traditional Arabic design elements, such as the mashrabiya, continue to influence modern buildings.
22 Oct 2026
A millenia-old shipwreck and the stories it brings to life
This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews ponder the connections that civilisations built through travel almost 5,000 years ago.
They share the story of a shipwreck that was discovered off Turkey's Mediterranean coast, believed to date back to the early Bronze Age. Archaeologists were able to unlock some of the vessel’s history based on pottery that they found at the underwater site. The ship was likely travelling from east to west, possibly trading goods between the Levant, Egypt and Anatolia.
Enas and Farah talk about how discoveries like this can reveal the similarities in crafts and architecture between different civilisations, and how much more connected they were than we expect.
The hosts also discuss the revival of HBO’s TV series, Girls. Five new episodes are expected to begin production in 2027, a decade after the original show ended. Farah and Enas discuss what a reboot of a show about women in their 20s could look like now that they are entering their 40s.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 55 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
82
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
71
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