For those who look closely, there were recurring cultural themes over the past 12 months, whether in cinema, music, art, or literature. There were also common threats and shared opportunities.
The trailblazing Egyptian producer and actress with a tumultuous private life had become an icon when she died in 2020, not least for having stood against the nationalisation of cinema
Set to the stunning backdrop of AlUla, Norah by Tawfiq Al-Zaidi has broken new ground for Saudi cinema with a story about two people who inspire one another.
Shot in Toyko, Wim Wenders' film pays homage to Ozu and other Japanese filmmaking giants. Critics say this could be the German filmmaker's best work yet.
With so many high-quality offerings in Saudi cinema, films must rise to a very high bar to impress audiences. Abdelelah Alqurashi's latest film falls short.
His arrest is the first for a British royal in modern history and comes after it was revealed he had passed confidential state documents to US financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
Despite having signed an agreement to integrate into the Syrian state, its leaders attended a key security conference in Germany as a separate delegation from Damascus, in a move that unnerves Türkiye
Faris Al-Muhanna dreams of one day creating a digital archive to safeguard the history and memory of Lebanon's most iconic artist for future generations
A $86.7bn budget, rapid naval expansion, and longer-range missile development underline New Delhi's drive to modernise its forces and compete more assertively with China and Pakistan