Culture Bites

Episode 3: NBA Abu Dhabi, Assassin’s Creed in Baghdad and Wes Anderson

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about Abu Dhabi’s busy week and the return of the NBA to the capital for a second season, which will feature preseason games between two teams and appearances from a host of NBA legends.
The hosts discuss the new Assassin’s Creed video game, Mirage, which launched on October 5 and brings old Baghdad back to life by recreating the Abbasid Caliphate. The game has a new educational feature called History of Baghdad, which offers players an interactive way to learn more about the rich setting.
Enas and Farah also delve into the world of American filmmaker Wes Anderson as Netflix releases his series of short films based on works by British author Roald Dahl. The converted works include The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and The Swan, starring Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Arts and Culture reporter Maan Jalal shares a personal story of how AI helped him find a book he read when he was a teenager but lost track of, and spent years trying to remember. He also has a list of creative events to check out this week, including the Assouline books launch in the Mall of Emirates, the first Dubai Calligraphy Biennale and Matilda The Musical in Dubai.

Episode 2: Outdoor season in UAE and Arabic hip-hop

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about what to do during the long weekend in the UAE, which marks the Prophet Mohammed's birthday.
Farah shares her recommendations for places to visit as the weekend coincides with the reopening of many outdoor activities in the country, including Hatta Wadi Hub, as the weather starts to cool.
The hosts discuss the end of the historical film and TV writers strike in Hollywood, what changes the writers (and viewers) are anticipating and which shows will be back on our screens next month.
As this year the world is celebrating 50 years of hip-hop, Enas talks about her passion for the music genre and cultural movement, which started in New York City in 1973. She also shares a songs from her favourite Arab hip-hop artists.
Arts and Culture reporter Maan Jalal has a list of creative events to check out this week, including Alserkal Lates in Alserkal Avenue and the Opera House Gallery's Fernando Botero exhibition at Atlantis The Royal.

Episode 1: Talking exhibitions, portraits and TV

In the first episode of Culture Bites podcast, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about their passion for arts and culture in the UAE and why they decided to explore more of this vibrant scene.
The hosts shared their thoughts on the new exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi “Letters of Light”, which showcases some of the oldest and rarest texts of the three monotheistic religions.
Commenting on the Taylor Swift and Beyonce beat reporters vacancies at one of the largest newspapers in the US, they also discussed what the writers’ and actors’ strikes in Hollywood mean for movies, TV and reality shows.
Arts and Culture reporter Maan Jalal also gave a roundup of the must-see exciting exhibitions in the UAE this week, and his take on John Wick prequel The Continental.

Culture Bites Trailer

Join hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews as they guide you through the arts and culture scene in the UAE.Farah, who has lived in the UAE for 11 years, and recent arrival Enas will give you their personal takes on what to see and what to do, and discuss stories, trends and ideas. A new episode of Culture Bites drops every week from The National News in Abu Dhabi.58b3d1ec3ec2206aab8c51844a3aeab93cf0f1a5