Enas Refaei

Abu Dhabi

Assistant Editor-in-Chief at The National

Co-Host at Culture Bites

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thenationalnews.com

Articles

Can art really cut through the turmoil?

1 week ago | thenationalnews.com | Enas Refaei |Farah Andrews

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. They share some of their recommendations for what not to miss at the event this year – including regional, international and digital art. The hosts speak to Mirjam Varadinis, the curator of the Bawwaba section at Art Dubai, about her vision for the exhibit to imagine new forms of coexistence amid an era of turmoil.
Taking the art out of artificial: Has AI gone too far? | The National

2 weeks ago | thenationalnews.com | Enas Refaei |Farah Andrews

This week on Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss the ethical consideration of using artificial intelligence to create art. Their conversation is inspired by the recent viral trend of promoting AI generators like ChatGPT to convert personal photos into Studio Ghibli-style images. The founder of the famous Japanese animation house, Hayao Miyazaki, is staunchly critical of integrating AI into artistic designs.
Why Disney’s remake of Snow White became a poisoned apple

4 weeks ago | thenationalnews.com | Enas Refaei |Farah Andrews

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 animated classic. The film stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. As far back as 2021, when the casting was announced, critics accused Disney of being overly politically correct for hiring a Latina actress to play Snow White. Enas and Farah also talk about the backlash against both actresses for their political views.
Why it is time to discuss the uncomfortable truth about online culture

1 month ago | thenationalnews.com | Enas Refaei |Farah Andrews

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 political tension. Oscar-winning film No Other Land has secured a Dubai-based distributor in the Mena region after failing to find a major distributor in the US. The documentary shows the struggles faced by its Palestinian co-creator as he tried to protect his West Bank village from Israeli settlers.
Netflix’s Adolescence: the uncomfortable truth about online culture

1 month ago | thenationalnews.com | Enas Refaei |Farah Andrews

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 political tension. Oscar-winning film No Other Land has secured a Dubai-based distributor in the Mena region after failing to find a major distributor in the US. The documentary shows the struggles faced by its Palestinian co-creator as he tried to protect his West Bank village from Israeli settlers.
What role will Arab talent play in renovating British Museum galleries?

1 month ago | thenationalnews.com | Farah Andrews |Enas Refaei

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 galleries, and how this is a major recognition of and a moment of pride for Arab architects. Farah also highlights how picking Ghotmeh might signal a shift in how the British Museum is positioning itself, as it has been under pressure to return looted artefacts, particularly from the Middle East.
Why can't we watch Palestine's first Oscar-winning film?

1 month ago | thenationalnews.com | Enas Refaei |Farah Andrews

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 Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, No Other Land won Best Documentary Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards. It highlights the daily struggles of Palestinians enduring settler violence in the West Bank area of Masafer Yatta. Enas and Farah describe the uphill battle for Palestinian representation and advocacy at the Oscars through the decades.
Why it’s time for Ramy Youssef’s satire based on the Muslim-American experience in post-9/11 America

1 month ago | thenationalnews.com | Enas Refaei |Farah Andrews

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said. Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
Can video games change how we understand history?

2 months ago | thenationalnews.com | Enas Refaei |Farah Andrews

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews discuss a new video game about the 1948 Palestinian Nakba, talking about how gaming can be used to tell historical stories. The upcoming Dreams on a Pillow follows a Palestinian mother called Omm who, in the chaos of being forcibly removed from her home, mistakenly grabs a pillow instead of her child.
Can MrBeast’s Giza Pyramids video promote regional tourism? | The National

2 months ago | thenationalnews.com | Enas Refaei |Farah Andrews

In this week’s episode of Culture Bites, Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews offer their take on the widely popular MrBeast video showing rarely seen treasures of the Egyptian pyramids in Giza. In the video, the famous YouTuber and his vlogger friends are joined by Egyptologists as they explore hidden chambers and archaeological sites that are otherwise closed to the public.