From stories of love and revenge to billionaires disguised as beggars... short series attract hundreds of millions and redraw the map of the entertainment industry, while artificial intelligence opens the door to a future in which the concepts of stardom and dramatic production may change.
Imagine starting to watch a series, only to discover that the episode ended before you finished drinking your coffee! It is only a minute or two long, but it leaves you with a surprise that prompts you to press the screen to watch the next episode. If you try to stop, you will find yourself with dozens of episodes waiting for you, and perhaps a paid subscription until you know how the story will end.
This is the world of “microdramas”, which are rapidly creeping into the global entertainment industry, changing the way series are written, produced and watched. Instead of sitting in front of the TV to watch an hour-long episode, the viewer can now watch an entire series on his phone, during waiting periods, work breaks, or spare minutes between one trip and another.
This phenomenon was born in China around 2018, before it turned into a huge industry that went beyond its local borders. According to official Chinese data announced in September 2026, the number of viewers of mini-dramas in the country exceeded 800 million people, while the market value exceeded 100 billion yuan during 2025. The industry witnessed a remarkable productivity boom, with about 430,000 works being released during the first eight months of 2026, more than 90 percent of which used artificial intelligence techniques.
These works are often filmed vertically to fit the phone screen, and consist of short episodes that usually range between one and two minutes, and the number of series episodes may reach 50 or more. Here the difference emerges between vertical drama, which is linked to the method of filming and display, and mini-drama that focuses on the shortness of episodes and the speed of events, although the two forms come together in many works.
In an opinion article published by Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper entitled “Vertical drama is light on the eyes and the mind,” Abeer Mushayas discussed the spread of this form of content, which is compatible with smartphone usage habits. The phenomenon reveals a shift in the audience’s relationship with images and time. The viewer who used to allocate an hour to watch a television episode can now follow a dramatic story within minutes of his day.
As for the stories, they do not need much complexity: a girl discovers that her husband is a billionaire who hides his identity, or a woman marries a mafia leader, or a man who disguises himself as a beggar, or a family betrayal that ends in a revenge plan. The episode begins with a shocking situation or puzzling question, and usually ends with a surprise or confession that prompts the viewer to watch the next part. It's a recipe designed to combat the habit of constantly scrolling on the phone, where the work only has a few seconds to convince the viewer to stay.
In Britain, which has become the largest market for this type of content in Europe, the number of monthly active users of mini-dramas reached 8.2 million users during 2025, according to Omdia estimates. The demand is not limited to searching for high-end dramatic productions, as these works give some viewers the opportunity to temporarily escape from the pressures of life and immerse themselves in imaginary tales that do not require much concentration.
Competition is not limited to Chinese and American companies. In Turkey, Elkin Cavukcu, founder of Eki Dakika, believes that success does not always require a loud, dramatic surprise. An emotional moment may suffice for the viewer to learn about an experience from his personal life. In Japan, producers focus on stories of betrayal, revenge, and hidden identities.
Naomichi Sawamura, founder of the Japanese platform "Bump", says that the first thirty seconds of the first episode are crucial in retaining the audience. One of the tricks used is to present an evil character that makes the viewer angry, so he waits impatiently for the moment of her punishment. Revenge here is not just part of the plot, but a way to keep the audience in front of the screen.
What began as a Chinese experiment is no longer a marginal activity. American companies and independent producers entered the race, and specialized platforms such as “ReelShort” emerged, and this industry became a new opportunity for actors, writers, and workers who did not find sufficient space in traditional television production.
But behind the growing popularity is a different picture of the well-known television industry. Production may take place within a few days, with limited budgets and small filming teams. As an example, the first season of the series “Hollywood Starlet”, consisting of 45 short episodes, was filmed in six days, with a budget ranging between 175 and 220 thousand dollars.
With the entry of artificial intelligence into the industry, short drama appears to be one of the most likely fields to benefit from its tools, whether in writing scenarios, proposing endings, or designing characters and scenes. This may allow small companies and independent makers to produce works that they could not previously finance, but it raises questions about the future of actors, writers and directors.
The audience may be attracted to a quick story and an unexpected surprise, but they are still searching for a character that resembles them, or a situation that touches on an experience they lived, or an ending that leaves an impact after hanging up the phone. These are elements that are not measured only by the number of views or the speed of production.
The phone may not triumph over television in the traditional sense, but it has indeed succeeded in snatching up some of the time that was allocated to it. Between a series that requires an hour of focus and another that gives you its story in a minute, the rules of competition change, and the challenge for entertainment makers becomes not only to produce a good story, but to convince the viewer not to pass his finger to the next story.
As part of the activities of the “Qatif Calendar 2026”, which was launched by the General Entertainment Authority, the “Art Exhibition” will open next Thursday, in the “Al-Rams” project in the center of Awamiyah. The exhibition is an artistic experience that combines contemporary creativity and heritage identity.
The exhibition will be held during the period from November 12 to 14, with the participation of local artists and talents, in an experience that goes beyond displaying paintings and artworks to exploiting the architectural privacy of the site, allowing communication between artists and the public, and introducing the creative scene in Qatif Governorate, which has a history in arts and crafts and maritime and agricultural heritage.
The exhibition represents the second “Qatif Calendar” event, after the “Qatif Cinema” experience, which was hosted by the governorate’s Corniche last June. It lasted 18 days and witnessed public demand, within the framework of a program that includes cultural, heritage, sports and entertainment events distributed over three main locations.
The “Art Gallery” acquires a heritage specificity, as it is located in the “Al-Rams” project in the center of Awamiyah, which is characterized by an architectural design inspired by elements of local heritage, which gives contemporary works of art a space linked to the urban and social memory of the governorate.
The exhibition allows visitors to discover the artists’ experiences and methods, and interact directly with them, through pavilions dedicated to artworks, interactive workshops targeting different age groups, in addition to spaces for photography and rest.
It also includes a corner for purchasing original works, publications, and memorabilia inspired by the works on display, in a step that allows artists to market their production, and opens a way to link cultural activity with economic opportunities for local creators.
The exhibition includes six artistic tracks, distributed between drawing and plastic arts, Arabic calligraphy, sculpture and models, digital art, photography, ceramics and pottery, which reflects the diversity of creative experiences that the organizers seek to present to the public, and provides a space for artists to display their work, and provides opportunities for communication between creative people and those interested in the arts.
Counselor Turki Al-Sheikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority, announced last May the launch of the “Qatif Calendar,” under the slogan “Sea, Heritage, Life,” in a project that invests in the natural and cultural components of the governorate, and combines entertainment, arts, sports, and community experiences.
The announced program extends over a period of 256 days, and includes eight main events and three major competitions, distributed in different locations, with the aim of diversifying entertainment options, attracting visitors, and highlighting the tourism components of Qatif.
The Al Rams site is also scheduled to host a classic car exhibition during the period from November 19 to 21, with the participation of owners of old cars, in an event that recalls part of the history of vehicles and the social transformations associated with them.
The announced activities also include the heritage “Qatif Market,” which introduces local crafts and products, and the “Rimal” events for desert adventures, in addition to fishing competitions, bicycle races, and marathons.
The idea of the “Qatif Calendar” is based on the specificity of the governorate, which combines the sea, agricultural oases, historical sites, markets, and traditional crafts, elements that have shaped the features of economic and social life in the region over centuries.
Norway is working on constructing the longest and deepest underwater road tunnel in the world, in a project that aims to reduce travel time between a number of major cities, to be part of a highway extending along the western coast of the country, without the need to use sea ferries, according to CNN.
The length of the tunnel, which bears the name “Rogfast,” is about 27 kilometers (17 miles), and is an abbreviation of the phrase “Rogaland fastforbindelse,” in reference to the name of the region in which it is located, and the word “fixed link” in Norwegian. At its deepest point, its depth is scheduled to reach 392 meters (1,286 feet) below sea level.
Construction work began in January 2018, but stopped in late 2019, due to expectations that costs would exceed the allocated budget, which led to the cancellation of existing contracts and the restructuring of the project. Work resumed in late 2021, while the tunnel is expected to be completed in 2033, at a cost estimated at about 25 billion Norwegian kroner (equivalent to about 2.4 billion dollars).
Anne-Britt Moen, project manager at the multinational company Skanska, said that the project “will significantly improve mobility and connectivity along the western coast of Norway, by providing a faster and more reliable connection between the regions of Stavanger and Haugesund.” Moen added that the tunnel will replace the current sea ferry lines, which will reduce the travel time between the cities of Bergen and Stavanger by about 40 minutes.
The tunnel consists of two separate lanes, each containing two traffic lanes, and was designed specifically for vehicle traffic. The project is characterized by an unusual engineering design approximately halfway through, as it includes a double roundabout located at a depth of 260 meters below sea level, connecting the tunnel to a sub-tunnel leading to Kvitsøy Island, the smallest municipality in Norway.
