Shows / Culture Bites
Culture Bites
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.
Episodes
- Culture Bites
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…
- Culture Bites
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…
- Culture Bites
Michelin Guide Dubai: How have closed restaurants been awarded stars?
This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss the reaction to this year’s Michelin Guide Dubai, which was not without controversy. The…
- Culture Bites
Culture as a building block: How the Middle East can inspire future cities
This episode was produced by The National in partnership with LIVEX. This week on Culture Bites, host Enas Refaei sits down with speakers at LIVEX in Abu Dhabi…
- Culture Bites
How film festivals became a staple of Middle East cinema
Culture Bites returns with a spotlight on the revival of the Dubai International Film Festival, which has been announced for December 2027. Enas and Farah talk…
- Culture Bites
A stage for spectacle and subtlety: Inside Dar Al Funoon
This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss Dar Al Funoon, the new performing arts centre announced for Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat…
- Culture Bites
Episode 120: From bagpipes to dabke: The cultural side of the World Cup
This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss the cultural moments shaping the 2026 World Cup, from the opening ceremonies to viral…
- Culture Bites
Episode 119: Could AI music help to solve a gap in culture?
This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews look at Beaufort Castle, the Crusader-era fortress in southern Lebanon that has been fought…
- Culture Bites
Episode 118: Reflecting on Art Dubai ahead of 20th event
In this special live edition of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews look back at the past 20 years that shaped one of the UAE’s most significant…
- Culture Bites
Episode 117: Venice Biennale - Is art becoming inseparable from politics?
This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss the Venice Biennale, exploring highlights from this year’s edition and the…
- Culture Bites
Episode 116: From politics to pop - What stood out at Coachella this year?
This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews unpack the biggest viral moments from this year’s Coachella festival. Among the most…
- Culture Bites
Episode 115: We can all do our bit to help independent artists and small businesses in the UAE
This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about the initiatives in the UAE working to support independent artists and small…
- Culture Bites
Episode 114: What are microdramas and why are they generating billions?
In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about the creative ways the entertainment industry is adapting to disruptions in the…
- Culture Bites
Episode 113: Can the comedy of Saturday Night Live be universal?
This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews share their thoughts on the newly launched UK version of Saturday Night Live. The first episode of…
- Culture Bites
Episode 112: Standout Oscar moments, wins and snubs
This week on Culture Bites, host Farah Andrews is joined by The National's culture reporter Faisal Al Zaabi to discuss their reactions to this year’s Oscars…
- Culture Bites
Episode 111: What we learnt from the America’s Next Top Model documentary
This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and guest host Faisal Al Zaabi, The National's culture reporter, reflect on a new Netflix documentary revisiting the…
- Culture Bites
Episode 110: What makes Ramadan TV culture so special in the Arab world?
In this episode of Culture Bites, The National’s music and culture journalist Saeed Saeed is back, this time joining Enas Refaei to discuss Ramadan TV. Every…
- Culture Bites
Episode 109: Who was the target audience for Bad Bunny’s half-time show?
This week on Culture Bites, Farah Andrews is joined by guest host Saeed Saeed, The National’s music and culture journalist. After much acclaim and debate over…
- Culture Bites
Episode 108: So you want to be a serious art collector? Abu Dhabi is calling
In this week’s episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about a new initiative in Abu Dhabi to attract art collectors. The scheme announced…
- Culture Bites
Episode 107: Why the food system is broken and why seasons matter | Asma Khan
This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews sit down with chef and author Asma Khan during the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in…
- Culture Bites
Episode 106: Celebrating Emirati culture at Al Hosn in Abu Dhabi
In this episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews explore Abu Dhabi’s heritage through Al Hosn Festival, which runs until February 1. They are…
- Culture Bites
Episode 105: Sitting down with viral artist Werner Bronkhorst
This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews host contemporary artist Werner Bronkhorst ahead of his first exhibition in Dubai. The 24-year-old…
- Culture Bites
Episode 104: The band reviving Kuwaiti pearl-diving music through jazz
In this episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei is joined by UAE-based musician Ghazi Al Mulaifi to talk about the traditions of Kuwaiti pearl-diving music that…
- Culture Bites
Episode 103: The year in culture - top reads, movies and moments of 2025
In this season finale of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews reflect on the culture-defining moments that had the biggest impact on them in 2025. The…
- Culture Bites
Episode 102: Preserving Arab heritage - From Zayed National Museum to Unesco's list
In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews explore how cultural heritage is preserved, celebrated and carried forward, from one of…
- Culture Bites
Episode 101: Why are we so obsessed with (our own) Spotify Wrapped?
In this episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews reveal their Spotify Wrapped summaries, each with their own listening age plot twist. The…
- Culture Bites
Episode 100: A day out at the newly-opened Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi
This week, Culture Bites celebrates its 100th episode from the newly-opened Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi. Hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews tour the…
- Culture Bites
Episode 99: How stories of migration come to life at Abu Dhabi Art
This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews visit the Abu Dhabi Art fair and speak to some of the artists whose work caught their eye. The Beyond…
- Culture Bites
Episode 98: What to look forward to at this year's Abu Dhabi Art
In this episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews preview Abu Dhabi Art before its opening on November 19. Dyala Nusseibeh, director of Abu Dhabi…
- Culture Bites
Episode 97: Dhai Dubai festival artists are using light as a medium
In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews speak to executive creative director at Expo City Dubai, Amna Abulhoul, about curating…
- Culture Bites
Episode 96: Scratch and sniff art comes to Abu Dhabi
In this episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews are joined by The National’s in-house pop culture expert Faisal Al Zaabi to talk about his…
- Culture Bites
Episode 95: Sell it or melt it down - What will thieves do with the stolen Louvre jewellery?
In this episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews explore the world of art heists in the aftermath of the break-in at the Louvre in Paris. It…
- Culture Bites
Episode 94: The mighty mushroom - UAE’s desert-dwelling marvel
This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews bring attention to an often neglected but worthy force of nature − the mushroom. Their guest in this…
- Culture Bites
Episode 93: From Arrakis to Abu Dhabi - Tracking the Dune cast in the UAE
In this episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews give the scoop on the production of Dune: Part Three in Abu Dhabi. Filming for the third…
- Culture Bites
Episode 92: Could the revived Hejaz railway be a healing track for the region?
This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews tell the story of the famous Hejaz railway, as Turkey, Syria and Jordan prepare to bring a…
- Culture Bites
Episode 91: Why Drake sampling Fairuz is more complicated than you might think
In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews react to Drake’s new track, which samples a song from the Lebanese icon Fairuz. During a…
- Culture Bites
Episode 90: The powerful voice of Hind Rajab
In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews take a closer look at the reactions to The Voice of Hind Rajab at the Venice Film…
- Culture Bites
Episode 89: Storybook ending for Mosul’s famous leaning minaret
In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews follow the story of Mosul’s historical landmarks from construction to destruction and…
- Culture Bites
Episode 88: A journey through the emirates, name by name
In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews trace back the origins of the seven emirates, and how they got their names. Drawing from…
- Culture Bites
Episode 87: What’s driving new generation of Arab musicians to greatness?
This week on Culture Bites, host Farah Andrews chats with her colleagues at The National about the UAE’s cultural representation in Japan, and the regional…
- Culture Bites
Episode 86: From public spaces to galleries, where to find street art in the UAE
In this episode of Culture Bites, host Farah Andrews explores the intersection of cities and street art through No Trespassing, an exhibition at the Ishara Art…
- Culture Bites
Episode 85: Culture Bites summer list - easy reads and flight-friendly flicks
On Culture Bites this week, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews offer some inspiration for a richer summer with their recommendations of what to read, watch and see…
- Culture Bites
Episode 84: Spiralling therapist or kitchen chaos? What to watch first from Emmy nominations
This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss their favourites from this year’s Emmy nominations. From dramas to comedies, some of…
- Culture Bites
Episode 83: Is it a bird? Superman and 'winged' Zayed National Museum
In this week’s episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews give a preview of the Zayed National Museum which is set to open in December. The…
- Culture Bites
Episode 82: Tips for a kid-friendly, cultural summer in Abu Dhabi
In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews offer some inspiration for an art-infused summer with respite from the heat. Enas…
- Culture Bites
Episode 81: Is life more fun with our phones locked away? And a look at Glastonbury surprises
On Culture Bites this week, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews talk about the perks of going phone-free during comedy shows. Enas tells Farah about her…
- Culture Bites
Episode 80: How big is Abu Dhabi's role in Brad Pitt's F1 film?
In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews join the hype around F1 The Movie, the thrilling motorsport film that was partly filmed…
- Culture Bites
Episode 79: Jaws turns 50 - Which came first, the phobia or the film?
In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews are joined by The National’s arts and culture editor William Mullally to talk about Jaws…
- Culture Bites
Episode 78: Who are the pilgrims riding from Spain to Makkah on horseback, reviving an Andalusian tradition?
In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews trace the journey of pilgrims who rode all the way from Spain to Makkah on horseback. The…
- Culture Bites
Episode 77: The Urban Treasures that define Abu Dhabi
In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews celebrate Abu Dhabi’s urban culture through some of its beloved local businesses. A…
- Culture Bites
Episode 76: From Gaza to Cannes: Arab films in the spotlight
This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss some of the most promising Arab entries at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, which is running…
- Culture Bites
Episode 75: What is a foreign film production anyway?
This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss Palestinian poet and writer Mosab Abu Toha, who won a Pulitzer Prize this week. He was…
- Culture Bites
Episode 74: How Abu Dhabi is attracting Hollywood
In this episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews share some of their picks from The National’s list of the 50 most important Arabic novels of…
- Culture Bites
Episode 73: How political should a music festival be?
In this episode of Culture Bites, our hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews explore the unlikely connection between Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta and Sharjah…
- Culture Bites
Episode 72: Can art really cut through the turmoil?
In a special episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews host the show from Art Dubai, the city's annual art fair that is taking place this week…
- Culture Bites
Episode 71: Taking the art out of artificial: Has AI gone too far?
This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss the ethical consideration of using artificial intelligence to create art. Their conversation…
- Culture Bites
Episode 70: Why Disney’s remake of Snow White became a poisoned apple
This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews dig into the controversies surrounding Disney's live-action Snow White, an adaptation of the 1937…
- Culture Bites
Episode 69: Why it is time to discuss the uncomfortable truth about online culture
On this week’s episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss the Palestinian documentaries that are defying the odds amid a climate of…
- Culture Bites
Episode 68: What role will Arab talent play in renovating British Museum galleries?
This week, Culture Bites hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss Lebanese architect Lina Ghotmeh’s selection to renovate the British Museum’s Western Range…
- Culture Bites
Episode 67: Why can't we watch Palestine's first Oscar-winning film?
On Culture Bites this week, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews celebrate Palestine’s first win at the Oscars. Co-directed by Palestinian journalist Basel Adra and…