United Arab Emirates Approves Screening of 'Barbie' Film

The United Arab Emirates has finally agreed to screen the film 'Barbie' in the country after a month-long delay due to potential content issues. Emirati officials did not provide explanations for the reasons behind the delay, which has also occurred in other Arab countries. The UAE Media Council announced on Thursday, August 4, that it has issued a screening license for 'Barbie' after completing the necessary procedures related to compliance with media content standards and age classification in the country. Directed by Greta Gerwig, 'Barbie' is inspired by the globally renowned Barbie dolls produced by Mattel. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling are among the live-action actors from Warner Bros. The presence of a trans actor in the film as Barbie and the portrayal of issues related to sexual and gender minorities could create problems in Arab countries with Muslim majorities, where homosexuality and transgender identity are considered incompatible with their religious beliefs. In 'Barbie', Margot Robbie plays the lead role, and Ryan Gosling plays 'Ken'. Several other actors also appear as 'Barbies' and 'Kens', including Harry Neff, a trans actor from Philadelphia, who plays one of the Barbies. Warner Bros. did not comment on the delay of 'Barbie's' release in the UAE, and Majid Al Futtaim, the distributor of Warner Bros. films in the Middle East, was also unavailable for comment. Last June, the UAE and other Arab countries initially postponed the release of the animated film 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' and then banned it due to the inclusion of certain transgender themes and the studio's refusal to censor them. In the conservative Middle East, any deviation from traditional sexual and gender norms is considered a form of taboo and is criminalized in many countries. These days, 'Barbie' has become a cultural phenomenon and an exciting box office hit, having grossed over $800 million worldwide in its first two weeks of release. It is expected that 'Barbie's' outstanding sales will continue in the coming weeks. This report is based on an Associated Press article.