From Curiosity To A Life In Storytelling
For Zaid Bawab, filmmaking was never simply about standing behind a camera. It became a way of understanding people, culture, emotions and the changing world around him.
His journey began with curiosity rather than a clearly defined career plan. A digital filmmaking workshop at the Royal Film Commission in Amman introduced him to a creative world that immediately felt familiar. What started as an exploration eventually developed into a multidisciplinary career spanning filmmaking, television, documentaries, commercials, music videos, journalism, podcasts, education and entrepreneurship.
Today, Zaid is building on those experiences with a larger ambition. He is moving beyond the traditional definition of a filmmaker and developing himself as a producer and creative business leader capable of building ideas, teams, artists and intellectual properties from the ground up.
That evolution has become one of the most interesting aspects of his professional story.
Education That Built A Creative Foundation
Zaid’s academic journey gave structure to his natural curiosity.
He studied Computer Graphics and Animation at Princess Sumaya University for Technology before pursuing an MFA in Cinematic Arts, specializing in directing and screenwriting, at the Red Sea Institute of Cinematic Arts.
The education was important, but the experiences surrounding it proved equally valuable. Working across different filmmaking roles allowed him to understand the creative process from multiple perspectives. Direction, writing, editing, production and visual storytelling became connected pieces of a much larger picture.
Rather than limiting himself to one role, Zaid continued experimenting.
He entered commercial filmmaking, documentaries and music videos, while also exploring television and journalism. He later moved into podcasting and education, giving him opportunities to understand both the creative and business sides of the media industry.
Looking back, what might have appeared to be a series of unrelated professional choices became a powerful education in storytelling.
A Career Built Through Reinvention
One of Zaid’s defining qualities is his willingness to reinvent himself.
His portfolio includes commercial work for brands such as Royal Jordanian, Orange and Johnson’s, alongside documentaries, television projects and music videos. His filmmaking experience has also included international documentary television, while his work in media has extended into journalism, audio storytelling and entertainment.
He has taught filmmaking at several universities and educational institutions in Jordan, allowing him to pass his knowledge to a new generation of creatives.
Television became another important chapter. As a presenter on Roya TV’s Caravan, Zaid explored storytelling from in front of the camera, adding another dimension to his understanding of communication and audiences.
More recently, his directing work has continued to develop. He directed the Jordanian comedy drama Quban Mousa, produced for Roya TV’s Ramadan 2026 programming. The series explores identity, family, belonging and the tension between preserving traditions and adapting to contemporary life.
The project demonstrates Zaid’s continued interest in stories that are entertaining while remaining connected to social and cultural themes.
Al Shubbak Represents A Bigger Vision
For Zaid, the next stage is not simply about collecting more credits. It is about building something that can outlast individual projects.
That vision is taking shape through Al Shubbak Production House, a creative platform designed to bring film, music and culture closer together.
The name itself reflects the idea of a window, a way of looking outward while also giving audiences a view into a particular culture and creative environment.
Through Al Shubbak, Zaid wants to develop film, television, documentary, music and branded projects that can originate in Jordan and the wider Arab world while finding audiences beyond the region.
This ambition is particularly significant in a creative industry where regional stories are increasingly capable of travelling internationally when they are told with authenticity and emotional clarity.
For Zaid, the objective is not to make stories feel international by removing their cultural identity. Instead, he wants local authenticity to become part of what makes them universally relatable.
Badleh Brings Another Side Of His Creativity
Filmmaking is only one part of Zaid’s creative identity.
Under the artistic persona Badleh, he has also entered music, using sound and performance as another language for storytelling.
The project gives him the opportunity to explore subjects including identity, Amman, relationships and everyday life from a more personal perspective.
His music and filmmaking interests naturally intersect. Visual storytelling has always been central to his work, and music gives him another medium through which to explore atmosphere, emotion and cultural identity.
His involvement with music has also taken him into the broader regional creative ecosystem. At XP Music Futures in Riyadh, he participated as an artist manager and represented Al Shubbak while also working on a music documentary project and introducing his Badleh identity to a wider creative audience.
This convergence of filmmaking, music and production reflects the direction in which Zaid’s career is moving.
He is no longer looking at creative disciplines as separate categories.
The Achievement Behind The Credits
Zaid’s biggest achievement may not be a single film, television program or commercial.
It is the ability to keep evolving without losing the central idea that brought him into the industry in the first place.
He has moved between roles that many creatives might normally treat as separate careers. Filmmaker, producer, educator, presenter, journalist, podcast professional, artist and entrepreneur have all become chapters in the same larger journey.
That range has given him something increasingly valuable: perspective.
Instead of seeing a career as a straight line, Zaid has learned to see it as an accumulation of experiences.
His journey reflects a belief that creative professionals do not always need to choose one identity and remain inside it forever.
As he puts it, “Stay curious, keep creating, and don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself.”
That philosophy has shaped much of his career and now appears to be shaping the business he wants to build.
Learning From The Detours
Perhaps the most relatable part of Zaid’s story is his understanding of uncertainty.
Creative careers rarely develop exactly as planned. Opportunities appear unexpectedly, projects end, industries change and new interests emerge.
For Zaid, moving between filmmaking, television, journalism, podcasts, education, music and entrepreneurship sometimes felt like changing direction.
With time, however, he recognized that every experience was preparing him for something else.
The lesson is particularly relevant for young creatives who may feel pressured to define themselves too early.
A person who begins as a filmmaker may eventually discover strengths in producing. A presenter may become a producer. A musician may discover filmmaking. A teacher may become a mentor and creative leader.
Zaid’s career demonstrates that these identities do not necessarily compete with each other.
They can strengthen one another.
Building The Next Ten Years
The most important chapter of Zaid’s professional journey may still be ahead.
His current focus is on developing from an individual filmmaker into a creative business leader capable of creating sustainable projects and opportunities for other artists.
Through Al Shubbak, he wants to develop original intellectual properties, collaborate with creative talent and create work capable of moving between Jordan, the Arab region and international audiences.
This represents a significant shift in mindset.
Instead of asking only what project comes next, Zaid is thinking about what can be built over the next decade or two.
That means developing teams, nurturing talent, creating original concepts and establishing a creative ecosystem where film, television, music and culture can intersect.
A Future Rooted In Jordanian Stories
At the heart of Zaid’s ambitions is a clear connection to Jordan and Arab culture.
He is interested in stories that feel genuine to their origins while carrying emotions that audiences anywhere can understand.
That balance may become one of his greatest strengths.
In an increasingly global media landscape, audiences are not necessarily looking for stories that erase cultural differences. They are often drawn to stories that make those differences visible while revealing emotions that remain universally recognizable.
Zaid’s career is moving toward that space.
His journey from a curious participant in a filmmaking workshop to filmmaker, educator, presenter, artist and entrepreneur shows what can happen when curiosity is allowed to guide a career.
His next chapter is about transforming that experience into something larger.
The goal is no longer simply to tell stories.
It is to create the people, platforms and productions that allow more stories to be told.
Follow Zaid Bawab on Instagram
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