Nayla Al Khaja

• Born — 7 March 1978 • Birthplace — Dubai • Occupation — Director, producer • Relatives — 2

Nayla Al Khaja was born on March 7 1978 and raised in Dubai. She earned a degree in mass communication from Dubai Women's College and completed a bachelor's degree in film studies at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) in Canada in 2005, supported by a UAE government scholarship.

AlI Khaja began her career creating short films. Her early works, such as Arabana (2006), Once, Malal, and The Shadow, have been featured and awarded at international film festivals. Both Animal (2016) and The Shadow (2019) were later acquired by Netflix, marking the first Emirati films to gain global streaming distribution. Al Khaja's films Animal and The Shadow achieved international recognition when Netflix acquired their rights in September 2022, expanding her reach to a global audience. Beyond her work in filmmaking, Nayla Al Khaja has contributed as a cultural consultant to projects across the Gulf region. She is registered as a speaker with the London Speaker Bureau and MENA Speakers. Al Khaja has delivered talks, including TED Talks, on topics such as Arab women in media, gender balance, working in male-dominated industries, entrepreneurship, and cultural representation.

Nayla is married to Christian Peter, a Swiss entrepreneur, with whom she has two children. Al Khaja is proficient in five languages and speaks on topics such as cinema, entrepreneurship, culture, youth motivation, and women's empowerment.

Her debut feature film, Three (2023), is a psychological horror-drama shot in the UAE and Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. It premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December 2023 and was scheduled for theatrical release across the Gulf region in early 2024. The film stars British actor Jefferson Hall, alongside Emirati actors Saud Alzarooni, Faten Ahmed, Noura Alabed, and Maree Al Halyan. The film follows a family's quest to comprehend the unsettling behavior of their child, interpreted by some characters as possession. Al Khaja has described Three as a personal and cathartic project that functions as “healing and therapy,” composed of fragments drawn from real-life experiences. Three had its world premiere on 5 December 2023 at the Red Sea International Film Festival. The film was released theatrically across the Middle East on 1 February 2024, with screenings in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, and Oman. It also received a theatrical release in Türkiye, becoming the first Emirati feature film to achieve such a release. Following its release, Three was featured at several international festivals, including the Al Ain International Film Festival in February 2024, where it won the Best Film Award. It was subsequently screened at the BRICS Film Festival segment of the Moscow International Film Festival (April 2024), the Shanghai International Film Festival (May 2024), the Oldenburg International Film Festival (September 2024), the KinoBraVo International Film Festival (September 2024), the Imagine Fantastic Film Festival (October 2024), the Halloween: Muslim Horror Film Festival (October 2024), and the Minsk International Film Festival (November 2024).

In 2025, Al Khaja completed production on Baab, her second feature and first art-house film. The story follows Wahida, haunted by her twin sister's death and drawn into a surreal journey through grief and memory amid the mountains of Ras Al Khaimah. The film is co-written with prominent Emirati writer Masoud Amralla Al Ali. The film's original score was composed by A. R. Rahman, marking the renowned Indian composer's first collaboration on an Arabic-language feature film. The cinematography has been directed by Rogier Stoffers, a Dutch cinematographer known for his work on Quills (2000), Brown Sugar (2002), and The Scandalous Lady W (2015).

As the CEO of Al Khaja Films (formerly D-Seven Motion Pictures) since 2005, Nayla has played a role in local film production. Nayla has directed numerous TV commercials for international brands, including Mercedes, Nike, Nestlé, Neutrogena, and Nivea, among others, along with notable clients like Annie Leibovitz and Roger Federer. Additionally, she served as the Behind-The-Scenes Director on the mega-budget film Star Trek 3, appointed by the Dubai Government.

Filmography • Year — Title — Notes • 2023 — Three • 2025 — Baab

• Year — Title — Credited as — Notes • Director — Writer — Producer • 1996 — Sweet Sixteen • 1998 — 3adi.com • 2003 — The Will • 2005 — The Loss • 2005 — Unveiling Dubai • 2006 — Arabana — Best Female Filmmaker – Dubai International Film Festival, 2007 • 2009 — Once • 2010 — Malal — Production of the Year – Digital Studio Award, 2011; 1st prize, Muhr Emirati Category – Dubai International Film Festival, 2010; Best Script – Gulf International Film Festival, 2010; 1st prize, International Young Screen Entrepreneur – British Council, 2010; 1st prize, Emirati Short Film Script Competition – Gulf Film Festival, 2010 • 2012 — Hi • 2013 — Three — Hazawi Fund for Short Film – Doha Film Institute, 2013 • 2013 — The Neighbor — Best Short Film – Middle East Now Festival, 2015; Muhr Emirate, Special Jury Award – Dubai International Film Festival, 2015; Best Emirati Film – Abu Dhabi Film Festival, 2013 • 2016 — Animal — Best women's issue short – Madrid Arthouse Film Festival, 2022; Best Short Cinematography – Arthouse Festival of Beverly Hills, 2021; Jury Award, Narrative Film – Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival, 2018; Jury Special Prize, Best Short Fiction – Italian Movie Award, 2017 • 2019 — The Shadow — Best Cinematography in Short – Dubai Independent Film Festival, 2022; Best Horror Short – Arthouse Festival of Beverly Hills, 2021; Best Fantasy / Horror Short – WorldFest Houston, 2020; Best United Arab Emirates talent – Al Ain Film Festival, 2020 • 2022 — The Road to Fulfilment — Documentaries and Reports: Environment, Ecology and Sustainability, Silver Dolphin Award – Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards, 2023