Though previously screened in Egypt at cultural institutions, this will be the first time that Palestinian thriller Omar, directed by Hany Abu-Assad, hits commercial cinema theatre across the country. 

The film will be released in Egypt on 20 May for two weeks, and then on 21 May in UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Iraq, according to MAD Solutions, a pan-Arab entertainment consulting and marketing firm that recently launched into film distribution.

Omar is Hany Abu-Assad's second Oscar-nominated film, after Paradise Now was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2006.

Omar follows the love story between Omar and Nadia, who reside on different sides of the Israeli separation wall that cuts through the Palestinian West Bank. When Omar is arrested by the Israelis and asked to act as an informant, a series of climactic events unfold, spinning a web of danger and betrayal around the two lovers. The result is an honest, multi-layered, introspective look into the life of young Palestinians under Israeli occupation.

Omar premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, winning the Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize. It also won Best Film and Best Director at the 2013 Dubai International Film Festival.