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Nowruz: New Year, Spring Festival and National Holiday

To perform or not to perform?

International pop artists like K-pop group Super Junior are hugely popular in Saudi Arabia. But should international stars shun the Gulf monarchy because of its poor record on human rights? And if they do choose to perform there, are they indirectly supporting the country's repressive policies? By Nermin Ismail

Not to be taken lightly

Saudi Arabia seems to be having a change of heart with regard to modern culture and entertainment. Pop concerts, shows and festivals are a new departure for the conservative kingdom on the Gulf, something that is also having an inevitable impact on the country′s strict policy of gender segregation. By Joseph Croitoru

Rapping the Kingdom

Saudi Arabia′s hip-hop scene is booming. Except that the musicians rarely get to perform live. A visit to Jeddah, the rap capital of the conservative Gulf state. By Jannis Hagmann

Egypt’s female social media influencers face arrest

Charged with "inciting debauchery" and "violating family values": Last week, Egyptian TikTok celebrity Salma Elshimy became the latest in a growing list of women to fall foul of the Egyptian authorities over social media posts

In awe of the cosmos

With "Holy Quarter" by Monira al-Qadiri, Munich’s Haus der Kunst gallery is showing a work by one of the Gulf region’s most significant contemporary artists, in an exhibition that runs until the beginning of June. By Claudia Mende

Lifting the veil on Iranian women rejecting male domination

Short movies nominated for an Oscar often don't get wide public attention. But when one is about an Iranian girl seeking freedom from male domination by taking off her veil, interest is sure to spike

Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi is failing to stop military violence against Rohingya Muslims