StarzPlay secures exclusive MENA rights to CIA thriller ‘Special Ops: Lioness'
SVOD platform StarzPlay has secured exclusive MENA rights to Special Ops: Lioness, the acclaimed CIA thriller starring Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman. The series will be available exclusively on the platform starting June 5, 2025, with all 16 episodes from both seasons released as a complete box set.
Created by Taylor Sheridan, Special Ops: Lioness explores the intense world of undercover espionage through the lens of a covert CIA programme. At the heart of the story is operative Joe, played by Saldaña, who leads the recruitment of female operatives trained to embed themselves within dangerous enemy networks. The narrative pulls no punches in depicting the psychological and emotional toll of such clandestine missions, highlighting the sacrifices made by women whose identities and lives are often erased in service of national security.
The series features Nicole Kidman portraying Kaitlyn Meade, a high-ranking CIA official, and Morgan Freeman as US Secretary of State Edwin Mullins. Laysla De Oliveira stars as Marine Raider Cruz Manuelos, a new recruit whose journey into the Lioness program reveals the harrowing cost of service. Michael Kelly also stars as CIA officer Byron Westfield.
With its storyline,performances, and Sheridan's gritty realism, Special Ops: Lioness is set to be a major draw for viewers across the Middle East and North Africa.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
10-08-2025
- Zawya
Impact46 powers MENA's thriving gaming economy with SAR 25mln+ investment
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Impact46 has announced investments exceeding SAR 25 million in five gaming studios — Fahy, NJD, Game Cooks, Starvania, and Alpaka — as part of its SAR 150 million Gaming Fund, launched in March 2024. The fund reflects Impact46's long-term commitment to back high-potential founders shaping the future of digital content and gaming experiences in the region. The studios span a diverse slate of gaming innovation, from culturally grounded mobile gameplay to immersive console/PC experiences, and next-generation hybrid-casual action games, highlighting the creative and technical depth emerging from MENA's game development ecosystem. 'We see gaming as more than a sector; it's a language of youth, culture, and creation,' said Basmah Alsinaidi, Managing Partner at Impact46. 'Through these investments, we're backing builders who aren't just launching games, but creating the infrastructure, stories, and platforms that define the next era of content in the region.' This announcement builds on Impact46's growing portfolio in gaming, following earlier 2025 investments in Spoilz, a mobile game studio developing engaging IPs, and Spekter Games, a next-gen studio bringing mobile games to chat-based super apps, seamlessly blending traditional gameplay with Web3 incentive layers. Together, these nine companies represent a new wave of MENA gaming ventures redefining how content is created, distributed, and experienced across the region. This momentum aligns with the Kingdom's rise as a global leader in gaming and interactive entertainment, in step with the National Gaming and Esports Strategy and Vision 2030's push to diversify the economy and enable homegrown innovation. From national enabler programs such as the National Development Fund, Social Development Fund, CODE by Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, and Saudi Esports Federation, to global initiatives by the Esports World Cup Foundation and Savvy Games Group, Saudi Arabia is positioned to become a launchpad for the region's gaming ecosystem. About The Startups: Fahy – A Saudi-based mobile game development studio crafting experiences that are instantly fun yet endlessly rewarding. NJD Games – A Saudi mobile game studio that creates joy and lasting memories through mobile gaming. Game Cooks – A dynamic game development and publishing studio specializing in Virtual Reality (VR), Mobile, and PC video games. With a signature blend of action, adventure, and puzzle elements, the studio has released over 22 original titles and earned numerous international awards for its creativity and innovation. Now proudly establishing its base in Riyadh, Game Cooks is entering a new chapter—focused on delivering localized, culturally tailored, and globally engaging gaming experiences. Starvania – A Saudi indie game studio dedicated to creating fantasy universes from fresh perspectives, where worlds are rich with thoughtfulness and inspiring concepts. Specializes in PC and console games. Alpaka – A mobile gaming studio producing and developing next-generation hybrid-casual games in the action genre. Spoilz (earlier investment) – Games that spark joy and connect cultures, everywhere. Spekter Games (earlier investment) – A next-gen game publisher blending Web2 and Web3 to supercharge games at scale. About Impact46: Impact46 is an innovation-driven, CMA-licensed asset management firm managing over SAR 2.8 billion in alternative investments. Based in Saudi Arabia, the firm delivers institutional-grade investment products across venture capital, private credit, and capital markets. With deep regional expertise and disciplined execution, Impact46 invests alongside institutions, corporates, and family offices to create long-term value and unlock new opportunities. Today, the firm plays a growing role in enabling strategic sectors — including the launch of a SAR 150 million gaming fund and an expanding credit advisory practice for institutional and growth-stage clients. Contact Details: Email: pr@
Cosmopolitan ME
07-08-2025
- Cosmopolitan ME
On a scroll: MENA poets you can't ignore
The Middle East has always been a cradle of literary tradition, where poetry once spilled from café tables as freely as the coffee itself. While the scent of ink and old books may have faded from the air of tea houses and street-side bookstores, the spirit of the Arab poet is far from silent. Instead, it's found a new home: on Instagram grids, X threads, in online zines, and digital open mics. A new generation of poets from across the MENA region is reimagining what it means to write, publish, and be read. From Sudan to Palestine, Lebanon to Iraq, these voices are crafting verse rooted in heritage while transcending borders. We've put together a short list of unmissable MENA poetry talent that's sure to transport you, from the vast plains of Sudan to the jagged mountains of Lebanon, and everywhere in between. Born in Maryland to Sudanese immigrant parents, Safia Elhillo has carved out a poetic space online that's both intimate and expansive. Her Instagram is a curated homage to her heritage, featuring snapshots of her draped in vibrant thobes, long, flowing garments symbolic of her Sudanese roots, interspersed with verses that sting, soothe, and endure. Safia's poems speak to the ache of diaspora, to dreams of returning to a homeland untouched by war, and to the sacredness of friendships that stretch across oceans. Sharp yet tender, her work captures what it means to belong to many places at once. A tailor, a pharmacist, and a writer, Omar Hamad is proof that poetry runs deep in Palestinian soil. Based in Gaza, Omar writes with clarity and purpose, his words as sharp as they are sincere. Like the many Palestinian poets before him, he wields his pen (and in this case, keyboard) as a sword of both resistance and refuge. His verses bear witness to daily life under occupation while dreaming, always, of love, stability, and beauty. His work, often shared on X and Instagram, is a testament to survival and imagination in impossible conditions. Hissa Hilal Via Instagram @muslimwomenyoushouldknow In 2010, Hissa Hilal became the first woman to reach the finals of Million's Poet, a wildly popular Emirati reality poetry competition. Veiled from head to toe, save for a narrow slit for her eyes, Hilal shattered stereotypes with each verse, defying the Western media's lazy narratives about Arab women. Born to a conservative Bedouin family in Saudi Arabia, she began writing poetry at 11 and went on to publish in newspapers across the region. Her work, written in the traditional Nabati style, provocatively critiques religious extremism and calls for freedom of thought. While she remains offline in terms of social media, her poems continue to echo across the Arab world, and beyond. You can read her work here. If you are a regular reader of The New York Times or The Atlantic, you may have already encountered Zeina Hashem Beck. The Lebanese poet writes from the heart of the diaspora, wrapping her readers in verses about language, longing, ginger tea, and the small, sacred rituals that tether us to home. Deeply inspired by the tradition of the ghazal, a poetic form rooted in the traditions of Middle East and India, known for its rhythmic repetition and lyrical beauty, Zeina's work bridges Beirut and the West, grief, and celebration. Her poetry is bold yet, like the cup of ginger tea — familiar, healing and necessary. Exiled from Baghdad after facing censorship and harassment for her journalistic work, Dunya Mikhail has spent decades weaving exile into verse. Now based in the U.S., her poetry explores themes of loss, memory, and belonging, drawing from ancient Sumerian imagery to piece together a vision of Iraq (both mythical and modern). Fables and lyricism come together in Dunya's work to create a homeland stitched together by words, one that exists as much in imagination as it does in history. Her poetry reminds us that even in absence, there is presence. While the platforms may have changed, the Arab world's love affair with poetry remains as passionate as ever. These writers are not only preserving an ancient tradition, they're reinventing it for the digital age, one post at a time. Read more on poetry here.
Zawya
07-08-2025
- Zawya
Savvy Games Group partners with Territory Studio to support the launch of their first Middle East studio in Riyadh
London, United Kingdom – Territory Studio, the global creative studio known for its iconic visuals and world-building across games, film, and immersive media, today announces the studio's expansion into Saudi Arabia. On 8 July 2025, Savvy Games Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UK-based Territory, to accelerate Saudi Arabia's creative capabilities and establish a regional presence. As part of its expansion, Territory Studio will incorporate in Saudi Arabia in 2025, and plans to open a new Riyadh facility in the next year to support developers across Saudi Arabia and the MENA region. The studio will offer co-development,, asset creation, cinematics, UI/UX, trailers, and in-game branding, building on Territory's reputation for immersive design and narrative-driven visual storytelling. 'At Territory, we've always been driven by a desire to explore new ideas, technologies, and cultures through design,' said David Sheldon-Hicks, Co-Founder, Territory Studio. 'Saudi Arabia presents an exciting opportunity to collaborate with forward-thinking partners, and Riyadh is steadily establishing itself as a growing centre for creativity, gaming, and esports. Through this partnership with Savvy, we're not just expanding our footprint, we're contributing to the development of a vibrant creative ecosystem in the region. The actions outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) support Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and grow the Kingdom's position as a leader in gaming and digital content. As part of the partnership, Territory has committed to hiring a team in the region over the next three years, with a focus on hands-on training, mentoring, and community engagement. Working alongside Savvy Games Group, the studio will also contribute to building creative capacity across the wider ecosystem, supporting both local talent and regional development. 'Territory Studio brings a unique creative perspective to our growing ecosystem, and we're excited to support their expansion into Riyadh,' said Dr. Nika Nour, SVP and Head of International Business Development at Savvy Games Group. 'This partnership reflects our shared ambition to grow Saudi Arabia's gaming and esports sector, create new jobs, and help shape a dynamic environment for creative talent to thrive' This marks Territory Studio's first Middle East location, joining a global presence that includes London, San Francisco, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Barcelona. The new Riyadh studio will act as both a creative production hub and a collaborative bridge, giving Saudi-based teams access to world-class visual and technical support while enabling global clients to tap into local talent. About Savvy Games Group Savvy Games Group ('Savvy') was formed with a mission to drive long-term growth and innovation in the games and esports industry. Backed by its shareholder, the Public Investment Fund, Savvy deploys capital over long-term horizons through acquisitions, investments, and business ventures. By expanding its portfolio and growing the games and esports ecosystem, it is shaping the future of the sector on a global scale. As Saudi Arabia's National Champion for Games and Esports, Savvy is also focused on developing the sector's domestic ecosystem. For more information, visit About Territory Studio Territory Studio is a creative specialist that draws on expertise in narrative-led creative design to imagine, realise and build new worlds. What ties our work together is a love of craft and creativity, a passion for story, and a designer's eye for problem-solving. What sets us apart is a uniquely refined design intelligence, near-future expertise, and a team of ambitious, focused, and proactive cross-disciplinary creatives. We use the power of imagination to realise New Worlds. For more information, visit
