The star-studded ceremony includes performances from Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, Cynthia Erivo, Queen Latifah and RAYE.
Whether you love the gowns, guests or gongs, there is no award ceremony quite like the Academy Awards. The 97th Academy Awards takes place on Sunday, 2 March in Los Angeles and will be hosted by the comedian Conan O’Brien. If you want to watch the Oscars in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, here’s how to get your streaming on.
Even though you’re more than 8,000 miles away, we’re here to help you join the action. The Academy Awards airs in more than 200 countries, and audiences in the Middle East can tune in to MBC 2, MBC Max, and Shahid Plus to stream the Oscars 2025 live. The ceremony will be held on 2 March in the US, translating to 4am on 3 March for viewers in the UAE and 3am in the KSA. Yes, that’s Monday morning.
The 97th Academy Awards favourites include Emilia Pérez with 13 nominations, making history as the most-nominated non-English-language film in Oscars history. Following closely are The Brutalist and Wicked, each securing 10 nominations. Other notable nominees include A Complete Unknown and Conclave, each with eight nominations, and Anora with six. Performers include Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, Cynthia Erivo, Queen Latifah and RAYE.
For almost a century, the Oscars have celebrated the creme de la creme of cinematic talent. From dramas to action flicks, the Academy Awards honours the best and brightest in showbiz. With nail-biting moments and tear-jerking speeches, the award show is a rollercoaster of emotions for viewers worldwide. Jesse Palme will host The Oscars Red Carpet Show alongside co-host Julianne Hough.
Arabs at the Academy Awards
Over the years, Arab cinema has been recognised at the Academy Awards. No gongs for guessing the first Arab actor to be nominated for an Oscar. In 1963, Egyptian actor Omar Sharif was shortlisted for Best Supporting Actor in his role in Lawrence of Arabia. It then took until 2019 for an Arab to win an Oscar: American Egyptian actor Rami Malek won the Best Actor award for Bohemian Rhapsody.
In 2014, Saudi Arabia made history when it submitted its first film to the Academy, and gained a nomination for Wadjda. Plus, in 2019, Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki was the first Arab female film director to be nominated for an Oscar.
Set the alarms.
GO: Visit www.oscars.org for more information.