Middle East

At only fourteen years old, Saudi podcaster and speaker Rateel Alshehri is a powerful role model for Gen Alphas all across the Middle East and beyond. She launched her hugely successful podcast, Rateel Alpha Talk, when she was only 12 years old. Her trademark curiosity and approachable presenting style quickly propelled the podcast and Rateel herself into the spotlight, and her burgeoning career has gone from strength to strength ever since.

Now a treasured annual fixture in Muscat, the Royal Opera House Muscat has been hosting Sufi and Inshaad concerts to celebrate the Holy Month of Ramadan for several years, bringing together regional and local artists for a spiritual journey through the medium of sound.
Few genres evoke the depth of spiritual connection and emotional resonance quite like Sufi and Inshaad music. These musical forms serve as profound vehicles for spiritual elevation and communal expression.

After many dark years filled with a succession of conflicts and occupations, the Bytna Foundation for Heritage and Culture is a small renaissance of the heart of Mosul and Iraq. Mosul means “the linking point” in Arabic, and thanks to Bytna’s work, the city can once again live up to its name. Bytna is much more than just a foundation; as well as their museum, Bytna is home to a cafe, a craft shop, a book collection, an art gallery, and more.

Welcome to The Grapevine – a monthly series from Pink Jinn where we pass the mic to artists, thought leaders, influencers and pioneers from across the Middle East, North Africa and the global diaspora. We’ve got a fabulous edition of the Grapevine for you this month, including beauty recommendations from the woman who literally wrote the book on eyeliner! Journalist and author Zahra Hankir has joined us to share the art and music that inspires her, recipes and places woven into her family history and much more.