Many filmmakers will know the doggedness required to find funding for a debut work.
MBC Shahid Originals’ new Arabic-language series Brando El Sharq opens with its protagonist in the thick of this beaten trail. Smiling ear to ear, Youssef tries to maintain a fervent demeanour as he goes from one producer’s office to another, pitching his film The Silent Bullet.
Youssef’s film and its genre is mercurial and delightfully prone to outside influence.
At its heart, The Silent Bullet is set in 1930s Lebanon and tells the story of a suicidal man who purchases a pistol in instalments, deciding not to kill himself until after he has paid off his debt. In the meantime, the man falls in love with the woman at the store where he found his gun.
However, the romance in Youssef's film, which starts with glum beginnings, changes its form in each producer's office. As Youssef eagerly tries to sell them the story, he gives in to the producers’ suggestions and his film shapeshifts into hilarious parodies of various Arab film and television trends, while hopscotching between genres from action to drama and slapstick comedy. The audience is taken along these giddy and exaggerated transformations that often pay homage to classic films from Taxi Driver to Casablanca.
Georges Khabbaz, who wrote the series and also stars in it, says Brando El Sharq was born, in part, from his desire to encompass his favourite genres of classic cinema into one project, while also telling a very particular story in a novel way.
“The film in Youssef’s head is set in the 1930s, so immediately you go to Charlie Chaplin when he’s asked to do comedy,” Khabbaz says. “Or, when he’s asked for a drama, his film becomes similar to Casablanca; when he’s asked for an action film we go to action tropes. These tropes are patterns we can all recognise, and I put them in a certain way.”
With each iteration of Youssef’s film, we also get a glimpse of his actual life and the tragedies that have darkened it. The people around him are featured as his film’s characters in fictionalised re-enactments that reflect on the developments of his own life, all while ensuring its comedic flair.
“Youssef, in a way, is Chaplin’s The Tramp of 2023,” Khabbaz says. “Life has wiped him. He has a dramatic story beyond the comedy, as becomes clear later on in the series. He is asked to be somebody he isn’t, and for this, he is all the more eager to fulfil his dream. He needs to prove himself.
“The first thing I established while writing was Youssef’s relationship with his father and his brother who died before he was born. This is a man who was forced to lie all his life; he has had to lie to his parents to convince them he is his brother, with whom he shares a name. The lie has grown with him. It is in his construction. You see in the series how he is made to lie, but in his essence, he is a good person who doesn’t want to lie but was born into a lie.”
Brando El Sharq features a stellar core cast. Releasing two episodes weekly on MBC Shahid, the series stars Amal Arafa, Jihad Saad, Camille Salameh, Zeina Makki and Talal Jurdi. Several surprise cameos include appearances by Elie Mitri and Fouad Yammine. It comprises 10 episodes, with four already released and the rest coming out weekly. The series is produced by Sadek Sabbah from Cedar Arts Productions.
Director Amin Dora says he was intent on establishing a visual and rhythmic distinction between Youssef’s film pitches and his real-life moments.
“I divided it into three layers,” he says. “First, there is Youssef as a real character. Whenever he’s around his father or sister, you can feel there’s something going on. When he’s with the producers, the camera work approach was more dynamic and quicker, because he is someone else. And then with Amal’s character, it’s the only place where he feels loved because he knows she loves him. You can feel like it's choreographed, like a dance.
“The series starts as a comedy but then suddenly you realise this character has a deeper place,” Dora says. “And up until episode 10, you’ll keep discovering who Youssef is.”
Brando El Sharq, or Brando of the East, an epithet for the character Khaled Salah in the series, is everything that Youssef is not but yearns to be, as is made evident by how he passes the thespian’s quotes and mannerisms as his own.
“The character of Brando is more of an idea of stardom,” Dora says. He explains that the film depicts a journey to finding Brando, while meeting other characters. “We then thought it would also be fun to bring on guest stars to play those characters. The scene in episode four, for instance, between Georges [Khabbaz] and Adel [Karam] is one of the most hilarious scenes ever.”
Dora says he is overjoyed at the feedback the series has received so far and is looking forward to seeing how audiences will react to the new directions it will take in the next six episodes.
“I’m waiting for all 10 episodes to release,” he says. “Because it really goes in different directions.”
As for a second season, Khabbaz says while he had intended Brando El Sharq to be a self-contained story, he isn’t ruling out the possibility of expanding on an aspect of the series in the future.
“I could go back and see that another story could grow out of one part of what we’ve seen."
As You Were
Liam Gallagher
(Warner Bros)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Fight card
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) v Rey Nacionales (PHI)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)
Catch 74kg
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)
Strawweight (Female)
Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)
Lightweight
Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
UAE%20PREMIERSHIP
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: April 10
DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 171 points
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP) 151
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP) 136
4. Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing) 107
5. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) 83
6. Sergio Perez (Force India) 50
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 45
8. Esteban Ocon (Force India) 39
9. Carlos Sainz (Torro Rosso) 29
10. Felipe Massa (Williams) 22
Austrian Grand Prix race timings
Weekend schedule for Austrian Grand Prix - all timings UAE
Friday
Noon-1.30pm First practice
4-5.30pm Second practice
Saturday
1-2pm Final practice
4pm Qualifying
Sunday
4pm Austrian Grand Prix (71 laps)
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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