News

New Kuwaiti-Based Netflix Series Features Women In Lead Roles

Set in Kuwait during the 1980s, The Exchange follows the story of the women who shook up the cutthroat world of the stock market.

Published

4 years ago

January 26, 2023

Nour Nasir

Netflix

After the teaser dropped a couple of weeks ago, Netflix subscribers can now watch the official trailer of the new Kuwaiti series, The Exchange. The show is scheduled to premiere on February 8th and is inspired by the real-life story of Farida and Munira, two women who played a pioneering role in the fast-paced and heavily male-dominated stock market of 1980s Kuwait.

The Exchange stars Rawan Mahdi, Mona Hussain, and Hussain Almahdi. It takes the audience on a journey through the trials and tribulations of navigating a male-centric industry during a time when Kuwait’s stock market was booming.

Written by Nadia Ahmad, Anne Sobel, and Adam Sobel and directed by Jasem AlMuhanna and Karim El Shenawy, the six-part series offers a refreshing take on our current obsession with everything from the 1980s.

Also Read: 5 Best Video Streaming Services In The Middle East

“Having grown up in Kuwait and surrounded by independent women my whole life, this production is close to my heart. Rawan and Mona perfectly depict the struggles women experienced back in the 80s, and I can’t wait for the world to see their characters’ stories unfold on the big screen. Besides the plot, I am excited for the audience to see how we brought this era to life, which brings together local and international expertise in a high-production masterpiece, shot and produced entirely in Kuwait,” says the show’s producer, Abdullah Boushahri.

The Exchange is Netflix’s second original Kuwaiti series. In September 2022, the platform released The Cage, a comedy-drama about the ups and downs of marital life.

News

Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments

Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.

Published

5 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.

Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.

Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

my syria super app launch event

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.

Also Read: This UAE Platform Wants To Replace Fashion Photo Shoots With AI

The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.

For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.