WIRED Middle East

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

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

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

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

Space

August 12 Solar Eclipse: Where to See It in the Middle East and North Africa

Parts of North Africa will see a partial eclipse at sunset, while the UAE and Saudi Arabia must wait until 2027.

By Jorge Garay

SPECIAL EDITION

THE ESCAPE ISSUE

Business

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 ESCAPE ISSUE

How Escaping Overstimulation Became Big Business

Overstimulation made ambient YouTube a digital refuge. Now AI is industrialising the internet's favourite form of escape.

By Megan Tomos

Environment

As Europe Overheats, Gulf Travellers Are Going Further To Escape Summer

For decades, Europe was the Gulf's summer refuge. Now record-breaking heatwaves are forcing travellers to rethink where they go to cool off.

By Rand Al-Hadethi

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

Space

How To See the Perseid Meteor Shower From the UAE and Middle East Tonight

One of the year’s most reliable meteor showers peaks under moonless skies. Here’s when and where to look on 12 and 13 August.

By Lea AlSarraj

Psychology and Neuroscience

Childhood Trauma May Leave a Molecular Mark on the Brain

An epigenetic mechanism alters the organisation of DNA in certain neurons following early-life stress, leaving the brain more sensitive to stress in adulthood.

By Fernanda González

Psychology and Neuroscience

There’s No Good Way to Talk About Celebrities and Eating Disorders

Online speculation over the weight loss of celebrities like Ariana Grande – even out of genuine concern – can make things worse for people struggling with eating disorders.

By Kat Tenbarge

Health

As Gaza’s Child Amputees Grow, This Prosthetic Can Change With Them

A remouldable socket being fitted in Cairo could last longer as children grow. Reaching those still inside Gaza is the much greater challenge.

By Tamara Davison

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

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

Movies and TV

The 10 Best Anime for People Who Don’t Watch Anime, WIRED Middle East Picks

Japan’s strongest media export makes a solid case for your attention span. Here’s what to watch.

By Megan Tomos

Culture

The Escape Issue

Culture

Big Tech Is Hitting Ctrl+Z. The Rest of Us Are Looking for The Esc Key

Google and Meta quickly reversed two easily abused AI features. But undoing a launch does not undo the damage it leaves behind.

By Carla Sertin

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

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

How To and Advice

How to Stop Google’s AI Overviews From Spoiling Everything

Google’s AI Overviews don’t know when to keep quiet. Here’s why–and how to stop their summaries from ruining your next watch.

By Megan Tomos

How To and Advice

How To Disable Music Videos in Spotify

A recent update made video playback the default for songs and podcasts with a visual component. If you just want to listen to music – and save your data and battery – follow these tips.

By Justin Pot