Letter from the Editor
Summer is here. And with it comes a moment to pause; not in retreat, but in reflection. Despite the ongoing instability across the region, despite the turmoil that often clouds our days, we find ourselves holding on to one thing: Gratitude.
We’re grateful for the artists who trust us, for the stories they carry, and for the growing community we’re building together. Gratitude is a word that’s often thrown around in captions, rituals, and conversations. But lately, it’s become something deeper. In a world that refuses to slow down, choosing to be grateful feels almost radical. It anchors us. It reminds us to be present, to notice the shifts, and to honour the people and moments that shape our work.
This issue is about that balance. Between ambition and stillness. Between movement and reflection. Between drive and care.
It’s also about legacy; about how a new generation of artists, athletes, and creatives are paving the way, carving space in places that rarely make room, in a region full of upheaval. This spirit of movement is captured in our tagline for the season: Scene in Motion. A nod to transition. To velocity. To stories that don’t sit still.
We start with Reem Khoury, a rising actor who’s rewriting the rules. From Beirut’s stages to breakout international roles, Khoury brings sharpness, depth, and honesty to every performance. She’s unfiltered, unscripted, and entirely in her element. Her story is one of persistence, risk, and radical self-definition.
Then there’s Nataly Aukar, whose comedy doesn’t flinch. She talks about Arabophobia, exile, and inherited trauma with clarity and precision, without ever reducing her pain to a punchline. Her work proves comedy can be both a witness and a weapon.
For the first time at YUNG, we also hosted a conversation between two athletes. Palestinian footballer Oday Dabbagh and Palestinian boxer Waseem Abu Sal speak, brother to brother, athlete to athlete. They talk about sacrifice, survival, and the quiet defiance of carrying a flag in places that rarely welcome it.
These conversations are the heart of this issue, and shooting all these covers in under two months was no small feat. Every early morning, every long day, every decision was made with one intention: to give these voices the space they deserve.
In The Mood, we interview sportspeople from across the region, across disciplines, across cultures. From Olympic champions to golfers, we consider how the body itself becomes a language in motion.
In Art, we report from the Venice Biennale and Milan Triennale. While Venice asks how we adapt in the face of ecological crisis, Milan questions who architecture is really built for. Both exhibitions offer urgent calls for change and MENA artists are responding with clarity and force.
In Music, we enter Blu Fiefer’s world, one shaped by sound, memory, war, and cinema. She doesn’t cater to the mainstream; she builds her own lane. We also speak with Sleiman Damien, a Lebanese producer who has long been the invisible force behind some of Arabic pop’s most defining tracks. Quietly and consistently, he’s been rewriting the rules of the genre – not by chasing formulas, but by doing the song justice.
It’s endless. There are so many creatives and talented people all around. The industry is shifting, and fast. But what grounds us is remembering why we do this work, and who we do it for. There’s always someone to highlight, someone ready to be seen, to be heard and take their place in this world.
So let’s keep moving forward. Let’s challenge the norms. Let’s uplift each other. Let’s stay grateful.
And most importantly, let’s pause.
Stay across our Instagram for more uplifting stories from across the region.
