Metafora Production and Al-Khayayli Art Production Company have announced that a new television series, Al-Hayyu Al-Arab (The Arab Neighbourhood), will be shown during the next holy month of Ramadan.
The Arabic series consisting of 30 episodes will highlight life in Qatar along with the country’s culture and heritage, with a focus on social comedy, it was revealed at a press conference in Doha yesterday.
Nasir Mansour al-Dosari, director of the series and general manager of Al-Khayayli Art Production, said pre-production work is currently on and the show will be ready for telecast before Ramadan.
Talks were on to finalise the TV channel where the series would be shown, he added.
“The ‘hero’ of the show is Qatar and the series will envisage the present social scenario in Qatar and the Arab world. Besides, it will make spectators aware of social realities,” he said, noting that 19 prominent Arabic actors will be part of the series. 
“In fact, through the series, we would want to say that Qatar is open to all.”
Besides five Qatari artistes, the series will feature actors from Oman, Syria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Sudan, Jordan and Egypt, the press conference was told.
They include Ghazi Hussain, Faisal Rasheed, Salim al-Mansouri, Ahmed Afeef, Hassan Saqr and Khaled Yousuf.
Al-Dosari said efforts were also on to rope in Indian actress Aishwarya Rai. “If things pan out as planned, Aishwarya Rai will appear in the series,” he added.
The series will be shot at different locations in Qatar and Turkey.
Anas Azrak from Turkey-based Metafora Production said the company “is proud to produce the series and it will help Doha emerge as a new destination of the film industry”. He also stressed that such initiatives would further strengthen ties between Qatar and Turkey.
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