Bidon Waraq: Kuwaiti Podcast Recasts the Diwaniya for a Digital Age
Kuwaiti podcast Bidon Waraq transforms the traditional diwaniya into a digital forum, drawing nearly two million YouTube followers and winning regional recognition while expanding into film and broadcast.
From Kuwait’s Qibla to a Digital Diwaniya
Bidon Waraq operates from Sard Group’s headquarters in Kuwait City’s old Qibla neighbourhood, where a studio and an on-site diwaniya sit alongside its offices. The podcast intentionally evokes the diwaniya — a Gulf social salon — adapting that tradition into a public, recorded conversation that reaches a regional audience. Since launching, the program has cultivated a large online following and a reputation for long-form, unscripted discussions that blend culture, politics and social commentary.
Founders’ Backgrounds: Theatre, Journalism and Family Roots
The project grew from the founders’ distinct media influences. Faisal al-Agel cites childhood theatre and live productions as formative, recalling a local adaptation of King Kong and the Ninja Turtles that shaped his sense of storytelling and values. Munera al-Shiraifi came up in a household steeped in journalism and literature; book fairs, newsroom visits and evenings of reading instilled an early appreciation for words and public conversation. Together, their complementary experiences laid the groundwork for a media enterprise that privileges narrative craft and editorial curiosity.
Pandemic Launch and Early Production Challenges
Bidon Waraq published its first episode in March 2020, two days after the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global pandemic, forcing the team to invent a production model on the fly. Initial episodes were recorded from a modest rooftop office and a basic studio fitted with acrylic barriers, reflecting both resource constraints and health precautions. The founders quickly pivoted from production experiments to a clearer editorial mission: to host thoughtful, unscripted conversations and to resist disinformation amid a period of intense public uncertainty.
Editorial Approach and Range of Guests
The show adopts an Arabic-first approach with a conversational register designed to make complex subjects accessible. Topics range widely — from financial management and Islamic history to intimate discussions about relationships and public policy — and the guest list reflects that breadth. Bidon Waraq has hosted figures such as Palestinian physician Ghassan Abu Sitta, Kuwaiti former minister Hind al-Sabeeh, and international voices including former CIA officer John Kiriakou and writer Mehdi Hassan. The podcast’s 100th episode, an interview with political scientist Abdullah Al-Nafisi, marked a turning point in audience reach and public influence.
Spinoffs, Subtitles and International Conversations
To broaden its reach, Sard Group launched variants and spin-offs that cross linguistic and platform boundaries. Bidon Waraq Plus supplements the flagship program with subtitled episodes to engage non-Arabic speakers and to bring international guests into the Arabic-speaking conversation. The company also hosts shorter, Instagram-based explanatory journalism under the Yafta banner and produces Esteghrab, a series for Al Jazeera 360 that interrogates Western ideas through Arab perspectives. These initiatives reflect a strategy of layered content designed to serve both local audiences and a growing global viewership.
Partnerships, Film Projects and Institutional Recognition
Sard Group has moved beyond podcasting into broadcast and film partnerships, aligning with regional media players and production houses. The company is developing a feature film and documentary connected to Fareed Al-Madhan, the Syrian whistleblower codenamed Caesar, in collaboration with Media City Qatar’s Film Committee and independent studios. Institutional recognition has followed: YouTube acknowledged Bidon Waraq among the region’s defining media projects, and in December 2025 UNESCO added the diwaniya to its list of intangible cultural heritage, underscoring the cultural resonance of the format the podcast reinterprets.
Bidon Waraq’s founders frame their work as part of a broader ecosystem-building effort rather than a solitary success. They speak candidly about the need for critics, competitors and supporters to ensure a healthy media landscape, noting that sustained relevance will come from meeting public moments honestly. As they engage festivals, broadcasters and film partners, the team aims to preserve the diwaniya’s spirit — a space for open exchange — while testing new formats and audiences.
As the project expands into films, festival stages and international platforms, Bidon Waraq positions itself as both a cultural mirror and a transmitter of regional narratives, committed to telling stories in Arabic while inviting wider global engagement.
