Shows
An intense action-thriller following an elite Israeli undercover unit operating in the West Bank. The show is known for realistic combat scenes, Arabic and Hebrew dialogue, and complex portrayals of both sides of the conflict. Even people who don’t usually watch international TV often recognize it because of its popularity on streaming services.
Fauda
An Iraqi drama centered on a young girl tasked with baking a birthday cake for Saddam Hussein during the sanctions era in Iraq. The film mixes tension, family struggle, and dark humor while showing everyday life under dictatorship.
The President’s Cake
A powerful documentary following a citizen journalist group called “Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently,” who risk their lives exposing ISIS crimes in Syria. It’s widely known from streaming platforms and news coverage.
City Of Ghosts
A Netflix Arabic-language teen drama filmed in Jordan about students at an elite girls’ school. It explores bullying, popularity hierarchies, and revenge in a strict social environment.
AlRawabi School for Girls
An Arabic adaptation of the American legal drama, set in a Middle Eastern corporate law firm. It follows talented lawyers navigating high-stakes cases, office politics, and mentorship dynamics in a regional business environment.
Suits Arabia
A spy series about a Mossad hacker sent on a dangerous mission inside Iran. The story mixes cyber warfare, undercover identities, political tension, and cat-and-mouse chases through Tehran. It became well known internationally because of its fast pacing and global espionage feel.
Tehran
Disney’s live-action adaptation set in the fictional Middle Eastern–inspired city of Agrabah. The story follows a street-smart “diamond in the rough” who discovers a magical lamp containing a powerful blue genie who can grant wishes. With flying carpets, enchanted palaces, and a shape-shifting antagonist, the film is known for its fantasy adventure, music, and the genie’s role in driving the entire story through wish fulfillment and chaos.
A deeply emotional documentary told through a mother’s video diary during the Syrian Civil War in Aleppo. It focuses on survival, motherhood, and life inside a besieged city.
For Sama
An Egyptian supernatural series following a skeptical doctor who begins experiencing unexplained paranormal events connected to his past. It adapts classic Arabic horror fiction and folklore.
Paranormal
A Saudi true-crime series based on the life of a notorious 1970s bandit and criminal gang leader. It follows law enforcement’s long pursuit of him and is known for its large production scale and realistic portrayal of crime in Saudi Arabia.
Rashash
A comedy-drama about a first-generation Egyptian-American navigating religion, dating, family expectations, and identity. Unlike action-heavy Middle Eastern shows, this one focuses on everyday life and cultural conflict with humor and emotional moments. It earned praise for bringing Muslim and Arab-American experiences into mainstream TV.
Ramy
A powerful drama following two boys growing up in Afghanistan before war and political upheaval change their lives forever. The film explores friendship, guilt, exile, and redemption.
The Kite Runner
A documentary about an underground hospital in Syria where doctors and medical staff treat civilians during constant bombings. It highlights resilience under extreme conditions of war.
The Cave
A teen supernatural drama filmed in Jordan where a group of students encounters ancient spirits during a school trip. It blends modern teen life with Middle Eastern mythology and folklore.
A Lebanese drama centered on a single mother working in a male-dominated business world who becomes entangled in a financial and emotional bargain that changes her life. It explores ambition, sacrifice, and complicated relationships.
Al Thaman
A long-running Turkish action and political drama about undercover agents, organized crime, and international conspiracies. The show became a cultural phenomenon across Turkey and parts of the Middle East because of its patriotic themes, dramatic plot twists, and controversial political storylines.
Valley of the Wolves
A groundbreaking Saudi film about a young girl determined to buy a bicycle despite social restrictions placed on girls. It became internationally acclaimed for portraying modern life in Saudi Arabia from a child’s perspective.
Wadjda
An Israeli documentary featuring interviews with former heads of the Shin Bet security service. They reflect on counterterrorism operations and moral dilemmas during decades of conflict.
The Gatekeepers
A Lebanese Netflix crime thriller centered on a bank employee and a mysterious plan involving a $1 million bill. It focuses on manipulation, crime networks, and psychological tension in Beirut’s financial world.
Dollar
An Egyptian Ramadan drama about marriage, relationships, and the pressures faced by couples and families in modern Cairo. It focuses on multiple intertwined stories dealing with love, conflict, and societal expectations.
El Harsha El Sabaa
A serious historical drama based on real events surrounding the kidnapping and murder of Israeli and Palestinian teenagers in 2014. The show examines grief, extremism, and the tensions that helped lead to the Gaza conflict that year. It is critically respected but much less known to casual viewers, making it the hardest category clue.
Our Boys
A Lebanese ensemble film set mostly inside a Beirut beauty salon, following several women dealing with love, family pressures, and social expectations. Critically praised worldwide but less familiar to mainstream audiences.
Caramel
A Palestinian–Israeli co-produced documentary filmed over several years in the West Bank village of Bil’in. It documents nonviolent resistance to land confiscation and is structured through the filmmaker’s repeatedly damaged cameras.
5 Broken Cameras
A political and religious thriller filmed in parts of Jordan and Israel. It follows a mysterious figure who appears in global conflict zones, sparking worldwide debate about whether he is a spiritual leader or a calculated fraud.
Messiah
A Middle Eastern espionage thriller set in a tense regional political environment, following intelligence operations, betrayals, and undercover missions. It is known for its darker tone and focus on regional security conflicts.
Al Ameel