This time last year, the Arab television industry was preparing to brave a storm that, in the end, would prove to be more transformative than devastating.
There was no way of knowing, at the time, the reinvigorating impact the pandemic would have on Arabic television in the long run, pushing it to be more agile and to do away with worn-out 30-episode-long formats.
When the pandemic took hold last year and countries began to enforce restrictions on movement that brought productions to a screeching halt, many of the region's top film and TV companies felt an encroaching sense of doom. Ramadan was a mere two months away.
They were still in the middle of filming shows that were scheduled for release during the holy month – the most important time of the year for Arab television. There was a very real risk they wouldn't be able to make delivery dates.
This was most sharply seen in pan-Arab productions filmed in Lebanon, which was one of the first countries in the region to impose stay-at-home measures. Several of the most anticipated releases of Ramadan, including Al Saher and Al Nahat, though they had strong casts and promising plots, ended up seeming rushed. Both shows were initially set to be 30 episodes long, but were released with half as many. Both concluded without a satisfying ending. It was a disappointment, but better things would come.
'We must keep filming'
As productions in Lebanon faltered, many leading figures of the country’s entertainment industry began protesting the measures that were keeping them from resuming work. Lebanese singer Cyrine Abdelnour took to Twitter in April saying that if production teams followed all the necessary safety procedures they should be allowed to return to work, albeit under the supervision of a specialised medical team.
Lebanese actress Maguy Bou Ghosn voiced a similar sentiment, tweeting that the livelihood of “thousands of families depended on this industry”, using an Arabic hashtag that translates to "we must keep filming".
In Egypt, the voice of disapproval came from those who believed the entertainment industry in the country was being reckless with its push to continue production, most notably when Egyptian lawyer Mohammed Ibrahim criticised Ashraf Zaki, head of the country's Actors Syndicate.
The criticism, however, fell on deaf ears and, apart from a short-lived interruption, the Egyptian TV industry continued as it had before the pandemic. A few shows, such as Kheit Harir and Al Qahera-Kabul, pulled out of production, but most continued and managed to release full 30-episode-long series by the time Ramadan began. These included Adel Imam's Valentino, Yusra's Kheyanet Ahd and Mohamed Ramadan's Al Prince.
In the Gulf, the bulk of shows had already completed their production phase by the time movement restrictions came into effect, such as MBC Shahid's Haya wa Banatoha. However, a number were affected, such as Nasser Al Qasabi's Exit 7, which stopped short at 20 episodes.
MBC also chose to usurp the traditional series format with the region's first soap opera, Al Mirath, which managed to keep production going throughout the pandemic and has now has more than 280 episodes broadcast.
A content boost
Throughout the pandemic, more shows that embrace the shorter format, and that have a planned outcome rather than being reactionary, have begun to emerge from across the Arab world. These include Al Amid (12 episodes), El Diva (eight episodes), DNA (10 episodes), Netflix Original series Paranormal (six episodes) and the Abu Dhabi-filmed The Platform (10 episodes).
Some of these cut back as a way of catering to the streaming public, but several did so as a direct response to the limitations brought on by the pandemic.
For better or for worse, as productions continued throughout the region, it marked the rise of a new type of series. More attention was being paid to character development, and the length of a series became dictated by its story. There was no need to stretch a plot line simply to reach the 30-episode mark.
With Ramadan around the corner again, we know what shows to expect in the coming weeks and many have adopted a more succinct format. There is the MBC Shahid production Covid 25, a 15-episode-long Egyptian horror series that imagines a coronavirus worst-case scenario; Bain Al Sama Wl Ard, another 15-episode series based on Naguib Mahfouz's Between Heaven and Earth; and the comedy Ahsan Aab by Ali Rabee, also with 15 episodes.
This by no means signals the end of the 30-episode format as a whole. We still expect to see several strong shows adopting the traditional formula, including Mohamed Ramadan's eagerly awaited Mousa, set in 1950s Egypt. But, the new approach has two main advantages: the story is prioritised over length and we now have more variety on Arabic television.
It's a slim silver lining to the pandemic's effect on the entertainment industry.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Last-16
France 4
Griezmann (13' pen), Pavard (57'), Mbappe (64', 68')
Argentina 3
Di Maria (41'), Mercado (48'), Aguero (90 3')
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
UJDA CHAMAN
Produced: Panorama Studios International
Directed: Abhishek Pathak
Cast: Sunny Singh, Maanvi Gagroo, Grusha Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla
Rating: 3.5 /5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
RESULTS
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
(Split decision)
Featherweight
Hussein Salim (IRQ) beat Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
(Round 1 submission, armbar)
Catchweight 80kg
Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Otabek Kadirov (UZB)
(Round-1 submission, rear naked choke)
Lightweight
Ho Taek-oh (KOR) beat Ronald Girones (CUB)
(Round 3 submission, triangle choke)
Lightweight
Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) beat Damien Lapilus (FRA)
(Unanimous points)
Bantamweight
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
(Round 1 TKO)
Featherweight
Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
(Round 1 rear naked choke)
Flyweight
Shannon Ross (TUR) beat Donovon Freelow (USA)
(Unanimous decision)
Lightweight
Dan Collins (GBR) beat Mohammad Yahya (UAE)
(Round 2 submission D’arce choke)
Catchweight 73kg
Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM) beat Islam Mamedov (RUS)
(Round 3 submission, kneebar)
Bantamweight world title
Xavier Alaoui (MAR) beat Jaures Dea (CAM)
(Unanimous points 48-46, 49-45, 49-45)
Flyweight world title
Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
(Round 1 RSC)
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma
Four stars
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More on animal trafficking
The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
