Dubai TV to air Arabic soap operas

The tie-up signals Dubai TV's desire to encourage the production of a new generation of quality Arabic shows focused on family audiences and the EMPC's aspiration to expand into the Gulf region.

The agreement, signed by Hussain Ali Lootah, CEO of Dubai Media Incorporated, Dubai TV's parent company, and EMPC's chairman, Abdel Rahman Hafez, covers riveting dramas featuring stars like Nour El Sherif, Hussain Fahmi, Yahya Fakhrani and Ilham Shaheen and the work of Osama Anwar Okasha, Ihsan Abdul Qudous and Yousef Ma'atti, some of the Arab world's leading writers.

Viewers can look forward to a host of the latest in Arabic dramas including Imra'a Min Nar, Al Rajol Al Lathee, Kalbi Younadeek, Al Usbou Al Khames, Ahlam Al Banat and Al Dam Wa Al Nar.

This exclusive deal also includes a Dubai TV-EMPC co-productions agreement for various new soap operas, as well as several special programmes planned for broadcast during Ramadan later this year.

The announcement follows yet another significant tie-up by Dubai TV with Warner Brothers for a range of the latest Hollywood films and western soaps. Together, the two exclusive partnerships offer an unmatched and comprehensive entertainment package for the entire family.

The new programmes are scheduled for broadcast throughout the year, with a special schedule of blockbusters during Ramadan, when huge television audiences are guaranteed.

Viewers will also be given VIP access to the latest celebrity news and backstage interviews with their favourite movie stars through Abyad Aswad Ou Molawan, Dubai TV's unique entertainment programme.

The EMPC, originally conceived as "Hollywood on the Nile", was founded in 1997. With its huge studio complex on the outskirts of Cairo, it is considered to be a "producers' paradise".