Ahmed Sharkawi: Last News

Nick Holdsworth Original TV series based on Arab and Muslim characters are beginning to go global, a Netflix executive said Saturday at the Red Sea Film Festival. Ahmed Sharkawi, director of Arab content, Netflix Europe, Middle East and Africa, said that a new, distinctive voice was emerging from the region. “Recently, a friend called me and her mother-in-law – who is 100% American – was recommending one of our Arab series [“Finding Ola,” starring Hind Sabri] to all her friends,” he said at a panel about writing for television.

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has handed control to its Arabic content slate to long-serving exec Nuha El Tayeb following the exit of Ahmed Sharkawi.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentNetflix is launching an incubator to help foster female screenwriters in Egypt.The U.S. streaming giant has partnered with Sard, a dedicated hub for screenwriters in the Arab world on a writing program called Because She Created.Its stated goal is training twenty women from outside Cairo and to “expose untapped talent to the creative tools and industry insight needed to advance their creative and professional development,” Netflix said in a statement.The program is financed by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe year 2022 has started out strong for Netflix in Arabic-speaking countries, where its edgy originals are making a punchy debut.The streamer’s first Arab original film, “Perfect Strangers,” sparked an uproar in socially conservative Egypt due to its portrayal of a gay male character and taboo storylines. Meanwhile, “Finding Ola” toplines Cairo-based Tunisian star Hend Sabry as a happy divorcee who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after her divorce. Both are reflections of the streamer’s thematically groundbreaking strategy in the region, says Nuha Eltayeb, Netflix’s director of acquisitions in MENA and Turkey.“We’re looking for content that will create impact for the viewers, where they will find it authentic and representative, and at the same time relatable to their day-to-day storylines,” says Eltayeb.