Yet the business tycoon, who is currently filming the second season of the series, is not resting on his laurels and is also in talks with Ocean’s Eleven producer Jerry Weintraub to set up an international film fund and is planning to shoot a feature length film in the UAE.
If that wasn’t enough, he has also put Hydra Properties forward as the exclusive sponsor of the UAE Olympic team in a five-year deal.
“This is extra branding for Hydra, Abu Dhabi and the UAE,” the 31-year-old businessman says. “We want to tell everyone in the world that Abu Dhabi and the UAE is a growing business centre and a real estate hub.”
The first series of The Hydra Executives, which is similar to property mogul Donald Trump’s reality show The Apprentice, is a $5 million (Dh18.3m) investment and is the UAE’s first foray into reality television.
The first season saw two teams of eight aspiring American and British expatriate businessmen and women competing for the grand prize of $1m. The series, which will be aired on Showtime and Infinity in October and will run for 15 weeks, sees the teams completing tasks such as selling Hydra property at a busy shopping mall and marketing the brand.
Each week a contestant is eliminated, with the winner becoming a potential protégé of Al Fahim.
“Its not just about getting the first million, the winner will also become my partner and I will continue to invest in them,” says Al Fahim. “I will share all my secrets and help them grow. If they are growing then I am growing,” he said.
The second season, currently being filmed in Abu Dhabi, pits business people from India and Pakistan against each other in what executive producer Ziad Batal hopes will be more competitive than the first series. “Having brought together two of the strongest business communities in the country, we are excited about this competition and will have to see who will brave the odds and emerge victorious,” says Batal, adding, “We expect this season to match, if not exceed, the drama and competitive levels of the previous season, and we are sure to see more feisty personalities and brilliant strategies within the show.”
Rumours that Hollywood and Bollywood personalities making special appearances are already creating a buzz; but season one also sees its own action with cameos from Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump. Was this a conscious decision on Al Fahim’s part to rope in the family to exploit the fact he is referred to as the UAE’s answer to Trump Sr?
Not according to Al Fahim, who holds two MBAs and a PhD in real estate. He says comparing him to Trump is laughable as they are not alike, especially on their respective shows. “Trump gives the winners a position in his company but with me, they become my partner, which is different from having a job where you can be fired.”
Talking about his proposed property project with Trump, Al Fahim says: “We have had talks about collaborating on future projects but we both have our own ideas and we can’t agree on anything at the moment. Nobody can deny that he is not the top branded property developer, so we learn from him. But for us at Hydra, we look more towards our leaders for inspiration.”
And Al Fahim is certainly inspired. He is now seeking help from Hollywood to launch a film fund – independent of the Abu Dhabi Film Fund – and produce a full-length movie in the UAE. “I am not working with the Abu Dhabi Government on this. I am going to do my own movie. I am in talks with Jerry Weintraub, and I hope to have more news on this later this year.”
Right now, Al Fahim’s main focus is the success of The Hydra Executives, which he says is already getting very popular given the number of calls he has received from television executives in India and Pakistan wanting to air the show overseas. “We have a massive target audience, with a viewership potential of one billion,” says Al Fahim.
So can we expect a third season to follow? Al Fahim hopes so, adding that it will probably feature two Arab teams competing.