This week on Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews tell the story of the famous Hejaz railway, as Turkey, Syria and Jordan prepare to bring a section of it back to life.

Back in the 1900s, Sultan Abdulhamid II of the Ottoman Empire envisioned a rail line that stretched from Istanbul all the way to Makkah, making pilgrimage easier. While it was never completed entirely, the railway did connect Damascus to Madinah, cutting the typical journey from a 40-day camel caravan trek to a three-day train ride. But the once prominent line fell into despair as conflict spread and the Ottoman Empire collapsed.

Farah and Enas talk about the significance of reviving the route that once connected the region and how it can signal a moment of healing after so much turmoil.

The hosts also share their thoughts on the Arab films submitted for Best International Feature at next year’s Oscars. Only one Arab film has won this category, the Algerian movie Z back in 1970. The hosts highlight some of the strong contenders for 2026. These include Happy Birthday, an Egyptian film that tackles the issue of child labour, and Calle Malaga, a Moroccan picture about a woman who fights to keep her childhood house in Tangier after her daughter decides to sell it.

In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews react to Drake’s new track, which samples a song from the Lebanese icon Fairuz.

During a live stream to promote his upcoming album, Iceman, the Canadian hip-hop artist played a song that featured vocals from Fariuz’s 1979 hit Wahdon.

It sparked concern among Arab audiences over whether the Lebanese singer would be credited and compensated.

Enas and Farah reflect on the criticism against Western artists sampling political Arabic songs out of context. They also discuss the merits of embracing cultural elements from the region.

This comes at a time when artists all over the world are becoming more vocal about their solidarity with Palestinians. After a strong show of support by actors at the Venice Film Festival and the Emmys, London hosted Together for Palestine, a benefit concert for the people of Gaza.

The hosts highlight some of the musicians in the line-up, including Bastille, Elyanna and Adnan Joubran of Le Trio Joubran. They talk about the growing action by the global art community to protest the atrocities in Gaza.

In this episode of Culture Bites, hosts Enas Refaei and Farah Andrews take a closer look at the reactions to The Voice of Hind Rajab at the Venice Film Festival.

The film uses real audio from the harrowing distress call of a five-year-old girl trapped in a car in Gaza as she came under Israeli fire. It won a Silver Lion and received a record-breaking standing ovation, but some critics called it out for using “tear-jerking tactics”.

Enas and Farah talk about the director’s response in an interview she gave to The National, and discuss the profound impact the film could have on audiences.

In the literary world, a new book by Indian author Chetan Bhagat has stirred up controversy over its age-gap love story. The novel, 12 Years: My Messed-up Love Story, centres on a relationship between a 33-year-old and a 21-year-old.

Social media users called it “creepy” but is this age difference really so strange? The hosts reflect on different cultural norms when it comes to age and look back at examples in literature.