The 2026 Doha Film Festival (DFF) is set to introduce a new programme, Cinema Alkhaleej, dedicated to spotlighting the rich diversity of storytelling emerging from the Gulf region. The initiative will feature seven films that highlight the cultural heritage, shifting identities, and contemporary experiences of Gulf societies.
Cinema Alkhaleej aims to provide a platform for filmmakers to share narratives that range from personal journeys challenging social norms to stories steeped in folklore, memory, and tradition. Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, CEO of the Doha Film Institute and director of the festival, emphasized the programme’s role in amplifying Gulf voices that capture the region’s past, present, and future. She noted that these stories, shaped by distinctive cultures and shared histories, offer emotional truths that resonate beyond regional borders.
The programme includes two feature films and five short films from across the Gulf states. Among the feature films is "My Driver and I" from Saudi Arabia, directed by Ahd Kamel, which won Best Feature Film at the 2025 Saudi Film Festival. The film explores the evolving relationship between Salma, a privileged Saudi teenager, and Gamar, her family’s Sudanese driver, set against the backdrop of Jeddah in the 1980s and 1990s. Also from Saudi Arabia is the horror film "Soulala" by Hisham Fakih, which follows a man’s return to his mother’s isolated date farm and his encounter with a disturbing reality that questions the complex bonds between parents and children.
The short films represent a variety of Gulf countries and themes. "Clouds," from Oman and directed by Muzna Almusafer, tells the story of Dablan, a widowed father whose village faces danger from a leopard, highlighting tensions between individual convictions and tribal expectations. Saudi Arabia’s "Dunya’s Day," by Raed Alsemari, focuses on a young woman trying to salvage her graduation party after household staff unexpectedly leave.
From the United Arab Emirates, Nada Jahed’s "Namoos" documents Noora as she prepares for her first competitive camel race, blending observational and reenacted footage to examine the ties between personal ambition and cultural identity. Kuwait is represented by Haya Alghanim’s "An Evening with Laila," a film that revisits a significant era in Kuwait’s cultural history by celebrating a pioneering female artist who expanded musical possibilities in the Arabian Gulf. Finally, Bahrain’s Omar Farooq presents "Salem Not Salem," which portrays a man’s struggle to differentiate between faith and madness amid social stigmas surrounding mental health.
Cinema Alkhaleej reflects the festival’s commitment to nurturing Gulf cinema by honoring filmmakers who offer new perspectives and enrich the broader regional and international cultural dialogue. The programme will bring these stories to audiences in Doha, underscoring the evolving landscape of Gulf filmmaking.