It’s that time of year—the end of it. And what a year 2018 was for podcasts in the Middle East. A new season of Sowt’s "Eib" got produced and Kerning Cultures continued to bring intimate stories from the region to listeners around the world. Raseef22 brings you five podcasts, where you can "listen" to stories being told, from comedy to politics to science during the holidays and new year. They were chosen by Sowt and Kerning Cultures as their "Favorite Podcasts of 2018".

Sex education | Eib

Sex.. It seems to be on our minds, much of the time. But for many of us in the Arab world it’s a taboo that we can rarely discuss. Not talking about it, though, leaves the door open for misinformation. This topic is loaded with implications about our concepts of gender and power. In this episode we listen to few people as they open the conversation up. EIBSEX

Open Sesame | Kerning Cultures

This episode made all of us feel nostalgic. Since the 70s, versions of Sesame Street have aired all around the world. In this episode we hear about the Arabic version of the show, Iftah Ya Simsim, through the childhood stories of Ammar Al Sabban, who grew up with it in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.   OPEN SESAME KERNING CULTURES

The Kidnapping | Razan

This episode comes from the beginning of 2018, but it was too powerful to leave off the list. In this episode, Razan Zaitouneh's story comes to a tragic crescendo. Optimized-RAZAN

Yalla Bye 2018 | Lebanese Politics Podcast

This episode was simply picked because it summarizes the Lebanese politics in 2018. Hosted by Benjamin Redd and Nizar Hassan, you can’t miss it if you’re looking to examine the puzzle of Lebanese politics.  LEBANESE POLITICS PODCAST

A Bedouin, a vegan, and a chef at the Ritz with Maha Ad-Doursi | Finjan

This episode dives into a food choice that as Arabs, we think we can't understand. "What? You don't eat meat? Chicken? Fish?" Maha shares her journey into veganism. FENJAN

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