In recent years, Netflix has been making serious attempts to invest in authentic storytelling from the Arab world, bolstering representation and providing audiences with truly relatable perspectives told from the point of view of regional directors, filmmakers, and actors. In the recent past, the streaming giant has made its foray into the Middle East and North Africa with productions like Jordanian high-school drama Al Rawabi School for Girls, and Finding Ola, starring Tunisian-Egyptian star Hend Sabry. Continuing on its ongoing push into Arabic content, Netflix has recently unveiled a thrilling selection of upcoming films and shows for the Arab world, hailing from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Egypt, and Jordan. Below, see all of the regional features that are making their way to the streaming platform in the next coming months.
‘Dubai Bling’
The new reality television show, which will be filmed in Arabic, will follow the lives of 10 Dubai-based millionaires as they navigate relationships, work, and their daily lives. So far, confirmed cast members include influencer Farhana Bodi, Emirati DJ Bliss, owner of popular Forever Rose and Forever Rose Cafe Ebraheem Al Samadi, as well as Virgin radio presenter Kris Fade. The 10-episode show is set to release globally on Oct. 27.
‘Alkhallat+’
Due to launch in 2023, 2023, the Saudi Arabian feature is a satirical suspense film based on the 2017 hit online show Alkhallat, which received more than 1.5 billion views across YouTube and social media. The forthcoming feature is the first in the eight-picture deal with Saudi studio Telfaz11, signed in 2020.
‘The Matchmaker’
Another Telfaz11 feature, the Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan-directed psychological thriller film was shot in UNESCO heritage site AlUla and will star homegrown actors Hussam Alharthy, Reem AlHabib, and Nour Alkhadra.
‘The Exchange’
Set in Kuwait in the 1980s, the film tells the story of two rule-breaking women who make their way into a corrupt boy’s club of the Kuwait Stock Exchange. The drama, which is coming out in early 2023, was directed by Karim Elshenawy and Jasem AlMuhanna, and will star Rawan Mahdi, Mona Hussain, and Hussain alMahdi, among others.
‘Masameer County Season 2’
The second season of the youth-centered animation will return for a second season in 2023. The show chronicles the rapid changes in Saudi Arabia in a humorous and witty way.
‘The Cage’
Produced by Kuwaiti actor Abdullah Boushahri, who is known for his role in the thrill-inducing Europa, and directed by Jasem Almuhanna, the filmmaker behind Alnamous, the 8-episode-long series, which debuted on the streaming platform on Sept. 23, explores the highs and lows of marital life. Starring several of the Gulf country’s favorite faces, including Khaled Ameen, Hussain AlMahdi, Rawan Mahdi, Lamya Tareq, and Hessah Al-Nabhan, the show revolves around a married couple who begin seeing a social counsellor in an effort to save their union.
