culture | AW

Egypt

The Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director Guillermo Arriaga. (Twitter)

Egyptian cinema draws inspiration from the Mexican silver screen

Marc Espanol-34622

Saudi Arabia

Saudi female musician Lojain Sami plays a keyboard at a local cafe in Khobar. (Reuters)

Music returns to Saudi schools after 60-year absence

Zaki al-Soudeir

London

Three silver and brass overlaid steel rams, Qajar, Iran, second half of 19th century. (Christie's Images Ltd, 2019)

London’s auctions give insight into Islamic art

Libya

A painting by Libyan artist Abdelgader Badr. (Courtesy of Abdelgader Badr)

Abdelgader Badr, a Libyan artist with a sense of ‘power of things’

Khulud al-Fallah

Egypt

Sherin Guirguis’s large earring (L) in the main hall of Beet al-Qadi. (Saeed Shahat)

Exhibition takes modern art to Cairo’s Fatimid quarter

Hassan Abdel Zaher

Saudi Arabia

A visitor takes pictures of posters of Hollywood movie stars during a screening at the King Abdullah Financial District Theatre in Riyadh. (AP)

Kingdom's reform drive irks hard-line conservatives

Mohammed Alkhereiji

Walid Abu Rashed

Puppeteer Walid Abu Rashed performs for children amid rubble of damaged buildings in the north-western Syrian town of Saraqib in Idlib province. (AFP)

Syrian puppeteer offers Idlib children breathing space

Lebanon

Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf. (Twitter)

Amin Maalouf reflects on unrest in Lebanon and beyond

Javier Hernandez-26557

Islam

Tunisian Muslims read verses in the praise of Prophet Mohammed as believers celebrate the birthday of Islam's prophet at the historic Zaituna mosque in central Tunis. (AFP)

Mawlid holiday brings joy, festivities to Muslim countries