The Ascendance of Arabic-Language Web Series: Dubai's Role in Redefining Entertainment
Arabic web series are growing more popular every day. People across the Middle East love watching these entertaining online shows. Many are filmed and produced in Dubai. The city is becoming a hub for making digital Arabic content.
Local creators in Dubai are making web series in genres like comedy, drama, and thrillers. These shows are reaching millions of viewers and redefining entertainment in the region. Dubai provides state-of-the-art production facilities for Arabic web series. The city’s diverse culture also inspires unique stories.
This article explores the factors driving the ascendance of Arabic web series, and how Dubai is playing a pivotal role through its production houses, infrastructure, and multicultural talent pool.
The Emergence of Arabic Web Series
Arabic-language film and TV have historically faced censorship restrictions in the Middle East. However, the emergence of streaming platforms and affordable production technology has enabled a new era of Arabic creative content online.
Web series have become hugely popular in the Arab world for several key reasons:
- Youthful demographics: A young, digitally-connected generation is turning to the internet for entertainment.
- Circumventing censorship: The free nature of online platforms allows more bold and progressive themes.
- Low barriers to entry: High-quality series can now be produced on small budgets.
As a result, there has been an explosion of Arabic-language web series production houses in Dubai covering everything from comedy and drama to suspense and satire. Many tackle complex social issues facing the modern Arab world.
Dubai: The Epicenter of Arabic Web Series Production
Within a few short years, Dubai has emerged as the epicenter for the production of high-quality Arabic web series.
The city offers an unparalleled ecosystem, including:
- World-class production infrastructure: State-of-the-art equipment rental facilities, studios, post-production services etc.
- Business friendly environment: Low taxes and government support to nurture the creative economy.
- Multicultural talent: Dubai’s diversity enables authentic casting and creation of content for pan-Arab audiences.
Top production houses spearheading Arabic web series in Dubai include names like Flipper Films, Lammtara Pictures and Seen Productions. Global streaming giants like Netflix and Starzplay are also ramping up Arabic content filmed in Dubai.
Transcending Cultural Barriers
While deeply embedded in Arab culture, the universal themes explored have resonated across continents. Genres span comedies, dramas, suspense and even content for kids.
Some elements that make these web series profoundly engaging:
- Nuanced exploration of Arab identities and complex social dynamics
- Multi-dimensional female characters
- Blending modern outlooks with cultural authenticity
Dubai-based ‘Shahid VIP’ recorded tens of millions of views for its breakthrough female-led comedy “Nawartis”, spotlighting evolving gender roles in the region. Netflix’s young adult show “AlRawabi School for Girls” similarly struck a chord worldwide with its depiction of female friendship in the midst of injustice.
Such series have resonated beyond the Arab diaspora, signaling the universal appeal of how they deftly handle societal issues.
Homegrown Talent Meets International Collaborations
The diverse makeup of Dubai’s population, including Arab expatriates across the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region, brings multifaceted perspectives into development and casting.
Fresh talents discovered through viral videos, local theater groups etc., are being recognized. For instance, the female comedy trio behind ‘Shit People Say in Dubai’ were sponsored by broadcasters to develop their hit show “Bacon & Bulls” on the immigrant experience.
Meanwhile, collaborations are underway between film and web series production houses in Dubai and international production partners. One example is Starzplay’s original spy-comedy “Baghdad Central” featuring UK and Iraqi talent alongside acclaimed Arab actors.
Runaway Successes Showing the Potential
Dubai-produced Arabic web series are gaining legions of dedicated fans. A few breakout hits include:
Web Series | Description | Success Metrics |
Finding Sally | Documentary-style drama on a daughter’s search for her disappeared father | Won awards at Toronto International Film Fest |
Al Hayba | 1970s-based drama on crime families ruling Lebanon border village | One of Netflix MENA region’s most popular series |
Islakeya | Female-centric drama revealing marital truths | Highest rated original on ShahidVIP |
These markers of prestige and viewership signal the formatting power and production standards emerging from Dubai.
Dubai's Contribution to the Global Arabic Web Series Market
Dubai is enhancing the visibility and reach of contemporary Arabic storytelling worldwide via:
- Platform partnerships: Licensing Arab web series to major international streamers
- Festival launches: Global premieres at leading film festivals from Toronto to El Gouna
- Crossover formats: Developing Arabic adaptations of global franchises like “The Office”, and “Top Gear”
These distribution networks and content strategies help Arabic series access worldwide niches.
For instance, Flipper Films’ comedy “Laish..?” was acquired by Netflix for global audiences, in a first for an Emirati series. Such expansions promises to enhance appreciation for Arab pop culture and voices.
Challenges and Opportunities
Arabic web production in Dubai contend with some unique obstacles, but stakeholders from web series production houses in Dubai are evolving opportunities:
Challenges
- Fragmented MENA market
- Linguistic barriers
- Conservative censorship expectations
Opportunities
- Co-production treaties to consolidate Arab media markets
- Emerging universities tailored to digital content skills
- Sensitively encouraging freedom of creative expression
With foresight and continued infrastructural support, Dubai seems positioned to overcome such hurdles.
The Future of Arabic Web Series in Dubai
Dubai appears poised to lead Arabic entertainment into an innovative, boundary-pushing and widely accessible future via web series and beyond.
Trends to expect:
- Increased artistic experimentation with series formats, styles and episodic storytelling on OTT networks
- Mainstreaming of previously taboo subjects through comedy and drama
- Tech-enabled content production pipelines attracting talent globally
With its rising production values, burgeoning talent ecosystem and infrastructure, Dubai seems on the cusp of cementing its fame as the media magnate of the Arabic internet age.
In Conclusion
This rise of Arabic online shows signals an exciting new era in Middle Eastern media.
In barely half a decade, Dubai has ascended as a nexus catalyzing the meteoric rise of Arabic-language web series. Its world-class facilities of web series production houses in Dubai have attracted Arabic creative talent from across the MENA diaspora and beyond.
The Arab web series emerging from Dubai are making cultural waves – exploring societal quandaries, spotlighting multifaceted heroines, and resonating profoundly with global diaspora audiences. As Dubai continues nurturing Arabic talent and series with an eye to worldwide markets, its role spearheading innovation in Arab digital storytelling remains one to watch.
