MBC, twofour53 unveil ‘ground-breaking’ Arabic soap opera Inheritance
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Rebecca Hawkes
| 01 August 2019

Plans for the first Arabic-language soap opera are afoot, with twofour54 Abu Dhabi, MBC Studios and Image Nation Abu Dhabi partnering for the show Inheritance.

Created for MBC Studios by Tony Jordan (pictured), a writer and showrunner on BBC1’s long running soap Eastenders, Inheritance will have a dedicated studio built in Abu Dhabi.

The show is slated to shoot for more than 250 days of the year, and the production team estimate the show will generate over 200 jobs in the first year alone.

Production house twofour54 plans to invest directly in the show, while Saudi-backed media group MBC will benefit from the Abu Dhabi Film Commission’s 30% rebate on production spend in the Emirate. Both parties said they will work closely with Image Nation Abu Dhabi on talent and script development for Inheritance.

“Partnering with MBC Studios and Image Nation to produce the world’s first Arab soap opera is truly a landmark moment in Arab entertainment industry and cultural history, said HE Maryam Eid AlMheiri, vice chair of twofour54.

“Over recent years, twofour54 has worked tirelessly to enhance the film and TV industry and attract talented filmmakers, writers, and actors to consider Abu Dhabi as a filming location. It’s imperative that these talents are supported by world-class infrastructure, regulations, and services. This is what we have aimed to do at twofour54, and our work with some of the biggest global content producers – from Disney to Netflix – is testament to our thriving ecosystem.

“The creation of ‘Inheritance’ is an indication of our region’s rapidly growing media and entertainment industry and will serve as a catalyst to inspire the next generation of storytellers to create more original Arabic content.”

Peter Smith, managing director of MBC Studios said: “twofour54 has overseen numerous productions from all parts of the world, offering producers a unique support system and production infrastructure while also excelling in Arabic-language content. We are thrilled to have agreed to a long-term production deal – the first of its kind in the Arab world – with Her Excellency Maryam AlMheiri and her team.

“We appreciate Image Nation’s support and resources to nurture the regions talent. These soaps are very labour intensive and collectively we view this agreement as a long-term opportunity to rapidly develop aspiring production professional through extensive training of local cast, crew and writers.”

The project is the latest collaboration by MBC and twofour54 to produce Arabic content, with previous shows including Haret El Sheikh, Hob Bila Hudood, Boxing Girls, and Al Asouf.

Principal photography on Inheritance will begin in December, with the first episode expected to air in the first quarter of 2020.