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WIRED Middle East

Forget Open Weights, the UAE Just Released Six Fully Open AI Models
Artificial Intelligence

Forget Open Weights, the UAE Just Released Six Fully Open AI Models

MBZUAI just launched six AI models with their training data, code and methodology public, betting on transparency against the backdrop of global AI paranoia.
By Carla Sertin
Who Gets Paid Under YouTube’s New Monetisation Rules?
Digital Culture

Who Gets Paid Under YouTube’s New Monetisation Rules?

YouTube is doubling the threshold for new creators seeking ad revenue, while reportedly offering its biggest stars millions to stay exclusive.
By Megan Tomos
Marvel Set 42 Hours of Homework Before Avengers: Doomsday
movie marathon

Marvel Set 42 Hours of Homework Before Avengers: Doomsday

The official catch-up list ahead of December’s release – and easy links to watch every one of them.
By Megan Tomos
MENA Events Guide: What’s On, What’s off and What’s Been Shelved?
FOMO

MENA Events Guide: What’s On, What’s off and What’s Been Shelved?

The region's tech and business events have shuffled. Here’s what you need to know.
By Jumana Naim
Dyson’s Next Act Is an Electric Toothbrush With a Camera
Gear News

Dyson’s Next Act Is an Electric Toothbrush With a Camera

The company known for stick vacuums and hair dryers is coming for your teeth. The $499 Dyson CameraJet uses a tiny camera to aim streams of rinsing fluid into the gaps between your teeth.
By Julian Chokkattu

SPECIAL EDITION

THE HEATWAVE ISSUE

Science

What’s the Difference Between Postpartum Psychosis and Postpartum Depression?
Psychology and Neuroscience

What’s the Difference Between Postpartum Psychosis and Postpartum Depression?

The Lindsay Clancy trial has put postpartum psychosis in focus. Here’s how the rare psychiatric emergency differs from postpartum depression.
By Evangeline Elsa
The UAE Is Betting Big on Medical AI. Now Comes the Hard Part
Health

The UAE Is Betting Big on Medical AI. Now Comes the Hard Part

From autism screening to cancer diagnosis, the UAE’s medical AI ambitions face a harder test: proving these tools work in clinics.
By Malak Saleh
Suhail Star UAE 2026: When and Where to See It
Space

Suhail Star UAE 2026: When and Where to See It

Suhail will return to UAE skies before dawn on 24 August, traditionally marking the end of peak summer and the gradual approach of cooler weather. Here’s how to see it.
By Lea AlSarraj
Is Expensive Bottled Water Actually Better for You?
Health

Is Expensive Bottled Water Actually Better for You?

Luxury water can contain different minerals and taste noticeably different. But a remote source, alkaline pH and high price do not necessarily mean better hydration.
By Megan Tomos

THE BIG STORY

YouTube Star AboFlah Made Streaming His Life. He Wants His Kids to Live Offline
THE ESCAPE ISSUE

YouTube Star AboFlah Made Streaming His Life. He Wants His Kids to Live Offline

AboFlah talks about his new goals, streaming for charity, and when it's time to log off.
By Carla Sertin
This Social Media CEO is Sick of the Algorithm
The Big Story

This Social Media CEO is Sick of the Algorithm

By Carla Sertin
Hassan Akkad Released After Detention in Post-Assad Syria
Security News

Hassan Akkad Released After Detention in Post-Assad Syria

By Dana Alomar
Over 600,000 Syrian Refugees Have Left Lebanon. Nobody Knows the Economic Cost
Invisibile Labour

Over 600,000 Syrian Refugees Have Left Lebanon. Nobody Knows the Economic Cost

Lebanon can estimate how many refugees are leaving. It cannot accurately measure what their departure means for its economy.
By Yasmina El Zein
Meet the Accidental Editor-in-Chief of Muslim Media
Digital Deen

Meet the Accidental Editor-in-Chief of Muslim Media

Ameer Al-Khatahtbeh was just trying to find an outlet for Muslim news. Now he has more than 12 million followers.
By Carla Sertin
Our First Print Issue Is Here. It's About the Future, And Who Gets To Shape It
THE LAUNCH ISSUE

Our First Print Issue Is Here. It's About the Future, And Who Gets To Shape It

In the AI era, being connected is more crucial (and complicated) than ever before.
By Carla Sertin
You Cannot Trust AI, Says Cisco's Global Innovation Officer
Humane Tech

You Cannot Trust AI, Says Cisco's Global Innovation Officer

To benefit from AI, billions still need internet access, says Cisco’s Guy Diedrich – and humanity may matter more than ever.
By Carla Sertin

Security

Back-To-School Scams: What Parents Should Watch Out For
Security Advice

Back-To-School Scams: What Parents Should Watch Out For

Fake tuition links, AI malware and bogus school-supply deals can catch families off-guard. Here’s how UAE parents can avoid back-to-school scams.
By Jumana Naim
The Open-Source Investigators Reconstructing the Middle East’s Wars
Security News

The Open-Source Investigators Reconstructing the Middle East’s Wars

As journalists are shut out of conflict zones, investigators are using satellite imagery, social media and 3D modelling to document atrocities. But evidence alone cannot deliver accountability.
By Iain Akerman
Inside the AI-Powered Cyberattack on the UAE’s Critical Sectors
Cyberattacks and Hacks

Inside the AI-Powered Cyberattack on the UAE’s Critical Sectors

Hackers breached corporate networks across critical UAE sectors but were stopped before reaching systems controlling essential services.
By Dana Alomar
How Morocco Turned Football Into a Tool of Statecraft
Power play

How Morocco Turned Football Into a Tool of Statecraft

The kingdom’s World Cup ambitions stretch far beyond the pitch, intertwining football with diplomacy, domestic politics and the contested future of Western Sahara.
By Karim Zidan

Business

How To Take Your Claude Prompts to the Next Level
Artificial Intelligence

How To Take Your Claude Prompts to the Next Level

A little bit of engineering gets you the very best answers out of Anthropic’s chatbot.
By Megan Tomos
Silicon Valley Doesn’t Get Why You Hate AI
Big Tech

Silicon Valley Doesn’t Get Why You Hate AI

Technology leaders don’t seem to understand society’s gripes about AI, but boy, are they posting through it.
AI in the Gulf Has a Drinking Problem
Artificial Intelligence

AI in the Gulf Has a Drinking Problem

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are spending billions on AI compute – but cooling power-hungry GPUs in 45-degree heat is straining water and energy grids.
By Malak Saleh
Why Abu Dhabi Is Taking Its AI Ambitions to Japan
Artificial Intelligence

Why Abu Dhabi Is Taking Its AI Ambitions to Japan

Mubadala’s potential $6.3 billion data center in Akita isn't just about parking capital–it’s the next phase of the UAE’s quest to build a global, non-China AI network.
By Malak Saleh

Culture

No AI, No Uploads, No Ads: Divine's CEO Says Friction Could Save Social Media
Digital Culture

No AI, No Uploads, No Ads: Divine's CEO Says Friction Could Save Social Media

The six-second video app is banning everything that made modern social media frictionless. Its founder says that's exactly what will make people trust what they're watching
By Megan Tomos
Vine Is Back From the Dead, and It Brought an AI Bouncer
Digital Culture

Vine Is Back From the Dead, and It Brought an AI Bouncer

The six-second video app’s successor is here, with archived OG content, a Taco Bell partnership and a strict human-only policy.
By Megan Tomos
GTA 6 Netflix Reveal: When to Watch and Which Leaks Are Real
Video Games

GTA 6 Netflix Reveal: When to Watch and Which Leaks Are Real

Netflix subscribers will see GTA 6’s extended look six hours early. Here’s when to watch, what CyberLeek posted and which leaks may be real.
By Megan Tomos
The Best TV Shows to Stream in the Middle East This August
Movies and TV

The Best TV Shows to Stream in the Middle East This August

From Silo and Lanterns to The 99 and Ted Lasso, these are the series worth watching across Netflix, OSN+, Apple TV+, Prime Video and more.
By Dana Alomar

The Iran War

The Strait of Hormuz Has Been Closed for 100 Days. Why Isn’t Oil Higher?
Logistics and Transportation

The Strait of Hormuz Has Been Closed for 100 Days. Why Isn’t Oil Higher?

President Trump says a secret mission moved 100 million barrels of oil through the blocked Strait of Hormuz. That number is impossible to verify.
By Carla Sertin
Iran Attacked Kuwait’s Desalination Infrastructure. How Resilient Is the Gulf’s Water Supply?
Water Risk

Iran Attacked Kuwait’s Desalination Infrastructure. How Resilient Is the Gulf’s Water Supply?

Kuwait’s damaged desalination facility has exposed one of the Gulf’s biggest and least discussed vulnerabilities.
By Dana Alomar
Iran Says the Strait of Hormuz Is Closed. US Says Otherwise. What’s Happening?
Logistics and Transportation

Iran Says the Strait of Hormuz Is Closed. US Says Otherwise. What’s Happening?

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most sensitive pressure points in the global economy.
By Carla Sertin
Is the Iran-Israel War Over? What Does A Ceasefire Actually Mean?
Security

Is the Iran-Israel War Over? What Does A Ceasefire Actually Mean?

Most people think a ceasefire ends a war. History, law and decades of conflict suggest otherwise.
By Megan Tomos

Gear

The Most Exciting Tech We Saw at Leap 2026 in Riyadh
Gear News

The Most Exciting Tech We Saw at Leap 2026 in Riyadh

Robots, drones, and tech that adds to your body stole the show at this year's edition of LEAP Riyadh.
By Iain Akerman
The Back-to-School Tech Worth Buying in 2026
Buying Guides

The Back-to-School Tech Worth Buying in 2026

From affordable laptops to AI note takers, this is the back-to-school tech worth buying in the UAE for the term ahead.
By Megan Tomos
7 Basic iPhone Tricks I Built With iOS 27’s Revamped Shortcuts App
Gear News

7 Basic iPhone Tricks I Built With iOS 27’s Revamped Shortcuts App

From halting my doomscrolls to automating air-quality checks, Apple’s streamlined Shortcuts app is my favorite iOS 27 feature.
By Reece Rogers
Coders Say They Already Found Workarounds to Claude’s Invisible Watermarks
Gear News

Coders Say They Already Found Workarounds to Claude’s Invisible Watermarks

Anthropic announced last week it would include invisible watermarks in AI-generated content to comply with new EU rules. Within hours, overrides were being touted online.
By Isabella Ward