6.57 PM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Feast of entertainment planned for Ramadan

Bab Al Hara III on MBC 1 (SUPPLIED)

Published
By Rachel McArthur

It's the end of the month and the very last episode of Noor airs tonight on MBC 4. But if the thought of the Syrian-dubbed Turkish drama about Noor and Muhannad – possibly the most talked about couple of the year – coming to an end is too much for you, fret not. Ramadan is here, and that means every television channel will be fighting for your attention with its line-up of programming.

For many of the world's 1.7 billion Muslims, Ramadan is a time of fasting, family and faith. However, for marketers in the region, it's also about money – and lot's of it.

As Oussama Jamal, Managing Director of Starcom Egypt, a media placement firm owned by Publicis Group, once famously said: "We call it a Super Bowl every hour, every night."

During the holy month, work schedules are cut back to as little as half a day in the UAE, and once Iftar – the daily break of fast at sunset – is over, friends and family gather around the box to catch the month's hottest shows. Even if you don't stay at home in the evening, chances are you will find big screens in every corner of your local Ramadan tent.

Because of this daily pattern, television ratings remain high well into the night, and so advertising breaks – some of which are known to last up to 30 minutes – are filled with big commercials, similar for those created for broadcast during the NFL Super Bowl in America.

The result? Advert spending soars. According to industry insiders, the cost of a 30-second spot during peak Ramadan viewing hours can reach more than double the normal rate; this is why some brands spend more than half their annual advert budgets during this month.

Nevertheless, the quality of programming makes up for the ridiculously long commercial breaks. And we've got to hand it to them; this year's specials showing throughout the holy month are pretty impressive. With several new channels making it onto free-to-air and subscription satellites this year, not only are there more programmes to choose from, but also more variety.

Emirates Business brings you the highlights of what to expect, all of which are to begin on the first day of Ramadan, scheduled to fall around September 1.



SERA'A ALA AL REMAL
Dubai TV

This epic, based on the poems of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, unfolds in the desert around the early 18th century, poetically weaving stories of star-crossed lovers, aspirants, heroes and thieves, against a backdrop of war and upheaval.

Sera'a Ala Al Remal (Battles on the Sand) stars Taym Hassan, Basel Khayat, Abdul Munim Amry, and Seba Mubarak.



BAB AL HARA III
MBC 1

The ridiculously popular Bab Al Hara (the name being that of a fictional Arabic town) series, which debuted in Ramadan 2006, returns to MBC 1 for its third installment.

The Syrian television series picks up where Bab Al Hara II left off, and that's the murder of one of the show's big characters.

This year's plot is expected to be full of twists and surprises, and a number of stars have joined the hit drama, including Jumana Mourad and Shukran Murtaja.



AL HUSRUM AL SHAMI II: YAOUMIYAT AL DAM WEL NAR
Series Channel, Orbit

Featuring a star-studded cast, including Abbas Al Nouri, Fares Al Houlo and Qais Al Khouly, Al Husrum Al Shami II: Yaoumiyat Al Dam Wel Nar (Sour Damascene Grapes II: Days of Blood and Fire) documents the true story of how a Turkish rebel fled to Syria and attempted to resurrect the Ottoman Empire in Damascus.

The main storyline revolves around a Syrian married woman who eloped with one of the rebel's sons, provoking another conflict among three powerful figures at the time.



FE AYDEE AMEENAH
Dubai TV


Everybody's favourite Egyptian actress Yusra returns to the small screen this Ramadan with Fe Aydee Ameenah (In the Hands of Ameenah).

Yusra plays Ameenah, a journalist who believes that her place is among the people. She is a strong propagator of the sentiment that reporters must participate in "making the news, not merely reporting it".

While her husband insists she abandon field reporting and resort to writing features instead, Ameenah refuses and immerses herself in her biggest assignment yet: investigating child abduction and child labour cases in various parts of Egypt, as well as exposing mafias who trade body parts and deal in criminal subterfuge. Expect this show to attract controversy.



BA'AD AL FURAK
MBC 1


Starring Tunisian actress Hind Sabry and Egyptian actor Khaled Saleh, Ba'ad Al Furak (After Separation) follows Naji and Sukara, a couple from a small village in Egypt, who are madly in love.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances, Naji has to leave for studies in Cairo, leaving Sukara behind.

Devastated by the split, Sukara immerses herself into her work, until she realises she cannot make ends meet anymore. She travels to Cairo to work as a maid for a well-known family. In the city, she meets Naji again, but realises he's not the same man anymore.



FREEJ
Dubai One, Sama Dubai and Dubai TV


Ramadan wouldn't be complete without Mohammad Saeed Hareb's hit animation series about four old, Emirati women who go about their daily lives in the constantly changing and evolving Dubai.

Season Three debuts on Dubai TV, while re-runs of Seasons One and Two will show on Dubai One and Sama Dubai.



MA OSAMA ATYAB
Dubai TV


Following Osama Al Sayed's rising success as a television chef four years in a row, Ma Osama Atyab (It's Tastier with Osama) returns to Dubai TV this

Ramadan, where he shares tips on what makes an Iftar feast a good one, and how working women can prepare quick meals.

There will also be a new segment dedicated to the topic of family, with Osama dishing out family advice, including how to get the children involved in the kitchen.



ABOU JAAFAR AL MANSOUR
MBC 1

Fans of historical dramas will not want to miss Abou Jaafar Al Mansour this Ramadan.

The series, which stars a number of well-known Syrian and Jordanian actors, such as Hani Al Romani, Abir Issa, Nabil Al Mashini and the legendary Abbas Al Nouri, follows the story of one of the most famous and most feared Caliphs of the Abbasid Dynasty, Abou Jaafar Al Mansour, taking viewers through a timeline from the end of the Umayyad Dynasty, until the end of the reign of Al Mansour.



AL HOOT
Dubai TV

Starring Basam Kosa, Saloom Haddad and Khaled Taja, Al Hoot (The Whale) is a social drama about the events that occurred at the coastal areas of Syria after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, with Syrians fighting against the French occupation.

The programme is centred around one evil character, who betrays the poor townfolk to achieve his goal in becoming the most powerful man in the country one day.



SPECIAL RAMADAN MONTH
MTV Arabia

The Middle East's first youth entertainment and lifestyle channel will mark the holy month of fasting by refraining from playing music videos during its 24-hour rotation, and air only cultural news programmes and reality TV shows.

However, the channel will continue to play the most popular programmes from MTV's international roster of reality shows, celebrity news and pop culture documentaries. As is customary with television channels across the region, MTV Arabia will air the call to prayer during Maghreb.

The newest programme during the month will be Hogan Knows Best, which follows wrestling super star Hulk Hogan in his lesser-known roles as husband and father. Hogan may be a titan in the ring, but his chances for success at home are less than certain as he deals with his wayward teenagers and strong-willed wife.

Another addition to MTV Arabia's line-up of reality shows is Room 401. Taking inspiration from Scare Tactics and Punk'D, Room 401 features normal people in spooky situations involving gruesome and creepy special effects.



CHILDREN'S SPECIALS
Nickelodeon Arabia

We can't forget the little ones! Nickelodeon has rolled out its schedule for Ramadan, which is now packed with brand new local shows and more of the most popular international fare.

First up is Catch Up, a brand new game show where presenter Taj puts teams through physical challenges to collect points in a non-stop, sometimes messy competition.

Then there are double episodes of the beloved SpongeBob SquarePants, as well as episodes of Avatar: The Legend of Aang.

Meanwhile, there's also Super Heroes Hour, which features an action-packed hour with Kappa Mikey and Danny Phantom.