WIRED Middle East

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

Environment

AI Is Learning to Spot the Sun’s Warning Signs Hours Earlier

An AI model was able to predict the appearance of active regions on the sun, a first step towards gaining time in the face of space weather phenomena.

By Jorge Garay

Books and Music

As Spotify Labels AI Artists, Anghami Warns of an Arabic Music Blind Spot

Spotify wants to separate synthetic stars from human musicians. Anghami says tools trained on Western catalogues may struggle with Arabic music.

By Megan Tomos

Digital Culture

A Palestinian Village Destroyed in 1953 Is Being Rebuilt in VR

Using oral histories, archival photographs and British maps, Palestinian diaspora architect Tony Ghannam is reconstructing Kafr Bir’im as it existed before its residents were displaced in 1948.

By Hajar Elkahlaoui

Big Tech

The Safety Reckoning Inside OpenAI

OpenAI’s rogue agent hack was a watershed moment for AI safety and cybersecurity. It also sparked internal questions about the culture that led to it.

By Maxwell Zeff

SPECIAL EDITION

THE ESCAPE ISSUE

Business

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

Artificial Intelligence

Saudi Arabia Will Be the First Arab Country To Host Unesco’s AI Ethics Forum

The Riyadh forum will bring policymakers, researchers and technology companies together to discuss AI governance, transparency and human rights.

By Dana Alomar

Big Tech

Made by Google 2026: How to Watch in the UAE and What to Expect

The Pixel 11 is expected to lead Google’s launch, which starts at 2am in the UAE and 1am in Saudi Arabia.

By Megan Tomos

Artificial Intelligence

33 AI Terms You Need to Know in 2026, Explained Simply

These 33 AI-centric words are essential jargon for the AI generation.

By Ritsuko Kawai

THE BIG STORY

The Big Story

This Social Media CEO is Sick of the Algorithm

Upscrolled’s founder Issam Hijazi says algorithms were built to make you addicted to social media platforms. Now he’s trying to build one without them.

By Carla Sertin

Security News

Hassan Akkad Released After Detention in Post-Assad Syria

By Dana Alomar

Invisibile Labour

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

By Yasmina El Zein

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

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

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

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

Science

Environment

Desert Animals Evolved for Extreme Heat. Humans Can’t Simply Copy Them

Camels, oryx and native honeybees evolved to survive extreme heat, offering lessons for how humans might adapt to a hotter future.

By Evangeline Elsa

Health

Spicy Food Makes You Sweat. That Doesn’t Mean It Cools You Down

From India’s vindaloos and Nigeria’s pepper soup to Thailand’s fiery som tam salad, many warm-climate cuisines are famous for food that produces its own kind of heat.

By Aarti Jhurani

Environment

The Gulf Is Losing Its Safe Hours to Extreme Heat

Rising night-time heat is denying the body vital recovery, increasing cardiovascular and neurological strain—and making some medications more dangerous, according to emerging health research.

By Mohammed El Said

Health

The Hidden Health Toll of the Gulf’s Hotter Nights

As Gulf nights heat up, the body loses its chance to recover, raising the risks of poor sleep, heart strain and overheating.

By Bianca Carrera

Security

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

Security News

Six Everyday Online Habits That Could Violate UAE Cybercrime Laws

From Google reviews to WhatsApp forwards, the UAE's cybercrime laws cover far more than hacking and online scams.

By Omnia Al Desoukie

Big Tech

Microsoft Investigated Its Role in Gaza. Will Big Tech Follow?

As Microsoft publishes the findings of its human rights inquiry, other tech companies facing scrutiny over their work with Israel are being asked why they haven't done the same.

By Jumana Naim

Security News

The UK Just Lost Its Sixth Prime Minister of the Decade

Keir Starmer’s resignation on Monday morning paves the way for yet another leadership battle.

By Isabella Ward

Culture

Digital Culture

How Hot or Not Built the Internet We’re Still Swiping Through

Hot or Not taught the internet to rank people at scale. Twenty-six years later, dating apps are trying to escape the culture it helped create.

By Megan Tomos

Culture

Ultimate, The Self-Refereed Sport Taking Off Across the Middle East

With little equipment and no traditional referees, ultimate is evolving from an expat pastime into a locally driven regional sport.

By Madeline Croad

Movies and TV

The 9 Best Movies To Stream This Month

From Project Hail Mary and The Devil Wears Prada 2 to M3GAN, these are WIRED Middle East’s August streaming picks.

By Dana Alomar

Movies and TV

The 13 Best TV Shows To Stream This Month

From House of the Dragon and Lanterns to Furious and THE 99, these are the best TV shows streaming in the Middle East right now.

By Dana Alomar

The Iran War

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

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

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

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

Gear News

Everything Google Announced at Today’s Pixel 11 Event

The Pixel 11 smartphone line-up is here, alongside the Pixel Watch 5 and the all-new Pixel Tag.

By Julian Chokkattu

Gear News

Claude Is Adding Invisible Watermarks to AI-Generated Content

Claude will now add an invisible watermark to AI-generated text and images–but detecting it may not be foolproof.

By Megan Tomos

How To and Advice

How To Disable the AI Features in Gmail and Google Docs

New AI toolbars and prompts are showing up in Google Docs and Gmail. If you don’t want Gemini’s help in writing documents and emails, here’s how to turn that stuff off.

By Justin Pot

How To and Advice

WhatsApp’s Latest Update Brings @all, Anonymous Polls and Splinter Chats

WhatsApp's latest update also brings anonymous polls and an official way to start a splinter chat

By Megan Tomos