Arab films from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Tunisia, Sweden, Palestine, Egypt, Morocco and Iraq have been entered into the Best International Feature Film category at next year’s Academy Awards.
The category, introduced in 1947 as Best Foreign Language Film, was renamed in 2020. The first Oscar in the category was awarded to Italy’s Shoeshine by Vittorio De Sica, while this year’s winner was Brazil’s I’m Still Here, directed by Walter Salles.
Here are the Arabic-language films hoping to reach the final shortlist for the 2026 Academy Awards.
Hijra
Saudi Arabia's entry is Shahad Ameen's Hijra. The coming-of-age tale is a spiritual journey that spans the kingdom. The film had its premiere in the Venezia Spotlight section of this year’s Venice Film Festival. Its story begins in 2001 in Taif, as a young girl, Sarah, her sister Janna and their grandmother Sitti take a bus to Makkah to perform Hajj.
Hijra is a co-production between Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt and the UK and was shot by Chilean cinematographer Miguel Ioan Littin-Menz. The film stars Lamar Faden, Raghad Bokhari and Khairiah Nathmy.
A Sad and Beautiful World
Lebanon has chosen this Cyril Aris film as its submission. Aris’s first narrative feature follows childhood sweethearts Nino and Yasmina, who reconnect in their twenties as Lebanon faces economic and political turmoil.
The drama had its premiere last month in the Giornate degli Autori competition at the Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. Co-written with Bane Fakih, the project was a multinational production involving Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the US and Germany.
Aris is best known for his documentaries The Swing and Iraqi Odyssey. The film stars Hasan Akil and Mounia Akl, with supporting roles from Nada Abou Farhat and Rodrigue Sleiman.
All That’s Left of You
Jordan has submitted All That’s Left of You, directed by Cherien Dabis. The film follows a Palestinian family from the loss of their orchards in 1948 through decades of displacement.
It had its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival before being confirmed by the Royal Film Commission as Jordan’s official entry – the country’s ninth in this category.
The cast includes Saleh Bakri, Adam Bakri, Mohammad Bakri and Dabis herself. Production was relocated to Cyprus, Greece and Jordan after filming in Palestine became impossible due to conflict.
Dabis, who has directed episodes of Ozark and Only Murders in the Building, as well as the Arab-American comedy Ramy, made her feature debut with Amreeka (2009), about a Palestinian immigrant mother and her son living in Illinois.
Eagles of the Republic
Sweden’s entry is Eagles of the Republic, directed by Tarik Saleh. The Arabic-language thriller is the third instalment of Saleh's Cairo trilogy, after The Nile Hilton Incident and Boy from Heaven.
The film stars Fares Fares as an actor pressured into appearing in a propaganda film for the Egyptian government. It had its premiere in competition at Cannes in May 2025 and later screened in Toronto.
Raised in Stockholm by a Swedish mother and an Egyptian father, Saleh told The National in 2022 that his films are less about politics and more about examining authority.
“I’m interested in a more universal theme, which is authority,” he said. “Of course it’s political to investigate how authority works and how power is executed and how you become powerful.”
Saleh described Sweden’s choice as significant, noting on Instagram that it was the first time the country had put forward a film made entirely in Arabic.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Tunisia has put forth The Voice of Hind Rajab, by Kaouther Ben Hania, a drama is based on the real story of a five-year-old girl killed in Gaza by Israeli military forces.
The film had its premiere in competition at Venice Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize – second best film overall. It counts Hollywood stars Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara among its executive producers, alongside Oscar-winning directors Jonathan Glazer and Alfonso Cuaron.
Written and directed by Ben Hania, the film incorporates real audio recordings as its central narrative device. Shot in a single location, it focuses on silence, fear and the growing tension of a child left without rescue.
Palestine 36
Palestine's submission is Palestine 36, directed by Annemarie Jacir. Set in 1936, when the territory was under British mandate, the film follows Yusuf, a young man torn between his rural home and the rising unrest in Jerusalem.
As Jewish immigrants arrive fleeing fascist Europe and calls for Palestinian independence grow louder, tensions erupt into the Palestinian revolt of 1936–39.
The cast includes Jeremy Irons, Hiam Abbass, Saleh Bakri and Liam Cunningham. The film had its premiere in the Gala Presentations section of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Palestine’s Ministry of Culture confirmed the submission in August.
Jacir, one of Palestine’s most acclaimed filmmakers, previously directed the award-winning When I Saw You (2012) and the 2017 comedy Wajib. Palestine 36 is her largest production to date, featuring a regional and international ensemble cast.
Happy Birthday
Egypt has selected Happy Birthday by Sarah Goher as its official submission. The film, Goher’s directorial debut, tells the story of Toha, an eight-year-old maid who tries to organise a birthday party for a friend from the wealthy family she works for, despite never having celebrated her own.
The drama had its world premiere in the International Narrative Competition at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival, where it won three major prizes: Best International Feature, Best Screenplay and the Nora Ephron Award for Outstanding Female Director. The film was co-written with Mohamed Diab, known for Moon Knight and Clash, and is backed by actor Jamie Foxx who serves as executive producer.
Calle Malaga
Morocco’s entry is Calle Malaga, directed by Maryam Touzani. The Spanish-language drama follows Maria Angeles, an elderly Spanish woman in Tangier who is determined to hold on to her family home, even as her daughter pushes to sell it. The film stars veteran Spanish actress Carmen Maura in the lead role.
Calle Malaga had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival where it won the Spotlight section’s Audience Award. It later screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Special Presentations programme. Touzani, whose earlier works Adam and The Blue Caftan were Morocco’s previous submissions, makes her first foray into Spanish-language cinema with this project.
The President’s Cake
Iraq has put forward The President’s Cake by Hasan Hadi. The film is set in Baghdad during the Saddam Hussein era and centres on nine-year-old Lamia, who must find ingredients to bake a birthday cake for the president. Failure to deliver the cake would have dire consequences for her family, turning the seemingly simple task into a matter of survival.
The film had its premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight section, where it won both the Audience Award and the Camera d’Or for Best Debut Feature. The recognition marked the first time an Iraqi filmmaker had received the top honour for a debut at Cannes.
Match info
Wolves 0
Arsenal 2 (Saka 43', Lacazette 85')
Man of the match: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Most wanted allegations
- Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
- Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
- Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
- Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
- Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
- John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
- Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
- Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
- Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
- Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
- James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
- Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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Notable Yas events in 2017/18
October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)
December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race
March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event
March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
RESULT
Fifth ODI, at Headingley
England 351/9
Pakistan 297
England win by 54 runs (win series 4-0)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
HERO%20CUP%20TEAMS
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Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
SPEC%20SHEET
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
