Arab storytelling tradition makes region ideal for filmmaking: Katara executive

Special Arab storytelling tradition makes region ideal for filmmaking: Katara executive
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Updated 13 June 2025
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Arab storytelling tradition makes region ideal for filmmaking: Katara executive

Arab storytelling tradition makes region ideal for filmmaking: Katara executive
  • Demand for premium Arabic content that resonates with a global audience is the main driver for production company
  • Authenticity requires cultural integrity — such as maintaining dialect, accents and costumes

Riyadh: The Arab world’s roots in detailed storytelling means that the region is well suited to making movies, according to Hussein Fakhri, chief commercial officer and executive producer for Katara Studios, and the latest guest on The Mayman Show.

Founded in 2018, the Doha-based production powerhouse is behind regionally iconic projects such as the fantasy short film “The Lost Chapter of Kelileh & Demneh” and the ceremonies for the 2022 FIFA Arab Cup.

“Storytelling, I think, is in our DNA, as Arabs generally, right? We come from a long line of storytellers; it is really part of who we are,” Fakhri said. “For me, the sort of career advancement was very much evolutionary, organic, as I come from an advertising and marketing background.” 

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Before entering the world of filmmaking and immersive storytelling, Hussein started out in Dublin, Ireland, pioneering digital advertising in a market far from his cultural roots. Hussein left the marketing agency life and now leads Katara’s mission to produce bold, meaningful stories that resonate with a global audience with an unapologetically Arab perspective.

“I had my own advertising agency, and we had so much work that I had to found a film production company to be able to shoot our TV commercials,” Fakhri said. “I would hire filmmakers, and we started doing short films, more brand films and documentaries, and that just sort of evolved. I just love the craft, although I’m not a filmmaker myself, but I just love the business of it.” 

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Part of the work was instrumental in what eventually evolved into Katara Studios, founded by a group of talented filmmakers, he said. “Watching them work and watching the kind of stuff that they do — just the love for it grew, to be honest.” 

The need for premium Arabic content that resonates with a global audience is the main driver for what Katara does creatively, he said.

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“We have a huge audience. We have 500 million Arabic speakers. And we have very little premium content for them. There was a gap there that was spotted and an opportunity to be able to create premium content for this primary audience.” 

The demand for premium Arabic content and the interest in Arabic culture made for a great recipe for success, he said.

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“We also have a lot of people around the world that are very interested in our culture, are very interested in our part of the world. And I don’t think we’ve given them enough content to engage with us, and that’s what we are trying to do, ultimately.”  

With a culture as rich and layered as the Arab world’s, authenticity is not simply a goal — it is a responsibility for Katara Studios projects, he said, as they aim to bring stories to life with depth, accuracy, and heart, even when they are infused with other styles of filmmaking. 

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Katara Studios is producing a fantasy Bedouin Western, and according to Fakhri, a balance for this genre experimentation and cultural authenticity is critical to telling a good story and being innovative without losing its Arab essence.

Asked how Bedouin storytelling could be showcased with this approach to experimental filmmaking, Fakhri said: “You know, I’m so glad you brought up that word because authenticity is the foundation for everything that we try to do. Genuinely, it has to be authentic. Because if it is not authentic — if you’re trying to please an audience just by throwing stuff in there — it shows every time.”

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Authenticity required cultural integrity — such as maintaining dialect, accents, costumes and other small and important details in the presentation — and this would then reflect very positively to the film, he said.

“You get every element of it right; it really comes through in the final product. So, we’re very careful to try to be as authentic as possible. And I think we’ve done that with this project,” Fakhri said.

 

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Updated 05 October 2025
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Gulf, Arab foreign ministers welcome US call for Israel to end Gaza hostilities

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In a joint statement, the envoys expressed their appreciation for Trump’s commitment to establishing peace in the region, and stressed that these developments for a sustainable ceasefire and to address the critical humanitarian conditions facing the population of the Gaza Strip.

The ministers welcomed Hamas’s announcement of its readiness to hand over the administration of Gaza to a transitional Palestinian administrative committee of independent technocrats, and stressed the need to immediately begin negotiations to agree on the mechanisms for implementing the proposal and address all its aspects, state news agency SPA reported.

They also affirmed their joint commitment to supporting efforts aimed at working to end the war on Gaza immediately, and reaching a comprehensive agreement that guarantees the unimpeded delivery of all humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The ministers also reiterated their support to preventing the displacement of the Palestinian people, protecting civilians, the release of hostages, the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, the unification of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and reaching a security mechanism that guarantees the security of all parties, leading to a full Israeli withdrawal and the reconstruction of Gaza, paving the way for achieving a just peace based on the two-state solution.


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Updated 04 October 2025
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Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, Riyadh Mayor. (SPA)
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RIYADH: Riyadh Mayor Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf has launched the Riyadh Municipal Transformation Program, which aims to keep pace with the rapid growth witnessed by the capital, in response to the city’s needs and in a manner befitting its global status.

The program is intended to ensure the ability to provide services that match the scale of existing and future projects, as well as the global events that Riyadh will be hosting in the coming years.

The aim of the program is to improve the efficiency of city operations — raising the quality of services provided to beneficiaries — and align them with the needs of residents and the particularities of each geographic sector of the Saudi capital.

This will be achieved by transforming all of Riyadh’s 16 sub-municipalities into five sectors tasked with providing both direct and indirect municipal services.

 


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Updated 04 October 2025
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The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture leads the Kingdom’s efforts by organizing exhibitions and events for all segments of society, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

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The Saudi Animal Welfare Society, also known as Refq, complements these efforts by promoting a culture of animal welfare in line with Islamic teachings, working to reduce the spread of stray animals through scientific principles, providing treatment and shelter, facilitating re-adoption, and curbing poaching, the SPA reported.

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Children from private and public schools can apply and the registration process will remain open until Nov. 9. (SPA)
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JEDDAH: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology has launched a competition to find the most talented middle and high school students in mathematics.

Youngsters will have the chance to win prizes and take part in a summer math camp to be hosted next year by KAUST and the University of Cambridge in the UK.

The competition adheres to international standards for algebra, geometry, combinatorics and number theory and provides a pathway to KAUST's pre-university academic programs.

Children from private and public schools can apply and the registration process will remain open until Nov. 9. The preliminary rounds will take place in several cities on Dec. 13, with the final to be held at KAUST from April 3-5 next year.

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Updated 04 October 2025
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Albudaiwi highlighted advances in disease prevention, workforce training and medical services, saying the region now surpasses global averages in health indices, according to a report by the General Secretariat.

“The GCC countries are working in partnership with the World Health Organization on the project to accredit the Healthy Cities Program, which seeks to achieve the highest level of health and well-being in sustainable and socially effective cities,” he said.