Elshabaka: The Network’s Whisper

Inspiration

I was inspired by two things: the untold sci-fi potential of Egypt’s history and the absence of Arabic sci-fi shows. The Arab world has a rich heritage of myth, science, and imagination, yet very few stories in film or television explore it through a futuristic lens. I wanted to change that by creating Elshabaka, a project that could become the first Arabic sci-fi series of its kind, merging cultural identity with global storytelling.

The story also draws from Egypt’s mysteries, hidden pyramid chambers, sonic energy myths, and the blending of ancient power with cyberpunk futures. Together, these inspirations drive the vision of Elshabaka as both entertainment and cultural statement.

What it does

Elshabaka is an AI-assisted sci-fi series set in a futuristic Cairo where stolen pyramid technology powers a divided world. Episode 1 introduces Ali, a young voice from the shadow districts, who discovers he can “hear” the hidden network that binds their society. It’s one of the first attempts to bring Arabic-language sci-fi storytelling to life using AI, blending heritage, cyberpunk aesthetics, and speculative fiction.

How i built it

I used a multi-tool AI production pipeline:

Scriptwriting & story development with Gemini and ChatGPT.

Character design and worldbuilding with MidJourney/Google Nano Banana.

Animation with Google Veo, KlingAI, Wan.

Voices with ElevenLabs and custom voices and dialogue in Egyptian Arabic.

Music with Suno AI and layered custom SFX.

Editing and post-production with CapCut.

Challenges i ran into

Balancing authentic Arabic dialogue with accessibility through subtitles, while overcoming the fact that AI voice/video tools often mispronounced Egyptian Arabic. This forced me to record the dialogue myself and then use voice-swapping tools to achieve a natural result.

Financial constraints: I have been out of work for four months, supporting a family of five. With no budget, I had to minimize video generations and carefully plan each shot to achieve the highest impact at the lowest cost.

Stitching together AI clips: Most tools only produce short sequences, so creating a cohesive 8–10 minute narrative required precision editing and creative transitions.

Directing AI outputs: Balancing artistic control with AI’s unpredictability was both a challenge and an opportunity for discovery.

Accomplishments that i am proud of

Creating what may be the first Arabic AI-powered sci-fi series.

Successfully merging heritage and future-tech aesthetics.

Building a working production pipeline that enabled a solo creator to produce a cinematic pilot episode.

Bringing authentic Egyptian culture and language into a global sci-fi conversation.

What i learned

I learned that AI is not just a tool but a creative collaborator. I discovered how to:

Direct AI with precision while embracing its surprises.

Use multiple AI platforms together in one pipeline.

Showcase underrepresented cultural voices in genres where they’ve rarely been seen.

Learned so many different AI tools.

What's next for Elshabaka: The Network’s Whisper

Episode 2! :)

I plan to expand beyond the pilot into a multi-episode series. Next steps include:

Refining the AI pipeline for smoother character continuity.

Collaborating with regional and global partners to scale production.

Exploring subtitled and dubbed versions for global distribution.

Building a community around Arabic sci-fi and inspiring other creators in the region.

Built With

• chatgpt
• elevenlabs
• gemini
• google-flow
• klingai
• midjourney
• suno
• wan