Love is Blind Habibi: What to expect from Arabic version of hit Netflix reality show

Middle East version of hit series has been 'fine-tuned to resonate with cultures and traditions of the region,' says streamer

Love is Blind Habibi is the Arabic version of Netflix's hit reality show Love is Blind. Photo: Netflix

The Arabic version of Netflix's hugely successful reality show and social experiment, Love is Blind, will begin streaming globally on October 10. Love is Blind Habibi will feature Arab singles from across the region who will look for love and then get engaged, all before meeting each other in person.

The show will follow the couples as they prepare for their wedding, get to know each other in the real world and involve their families and friends, to see if their love really does conquer all.

Saudi couple Elham Ali and Khaled Saqr, both actors and TV personalities, will host Love is Blind Habibi. A teaser for the show released on Wednesday showed glimpses of a traditional Arabic wedding, as well as sounds of ululation, a hallmark of many weddings in the region.

“The sheikh who will officiate your marriage is waiting for you upstairs,” host Ali is heard telling someone off-screen in the teaser. “Time for your decision.” The teaser then cuts to an aerial shot of a resort in Dubai, where much of the show was filmed.

The original Love is Blind was an instant hit when it made its debut on the streaming platform in 2020. Hosted by celebrity couple Nick and Vanessa Lachey, it featured a cast of mostly American singles. The show's success spawned a number of spin-offs with versions now in Brazil, Japan, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Mexico and Argentina.

Netflix says the regional adaptation “offers a unique opportunity to explore the rich diversity of Arab traditions and cultural nuances that influence love and marriage across the Arab world.” The show, the company adds, “has been thoughtfully fine-tuned to resonate with the cultures and traditions of the region”.

The first season of Love is Blind Habibi will feature nine episodes. Similar to other international versions, men and women will interact via purpose-built “pods” where they can get to know each other, but not see each other. They will then have to decide whether or not they'd like to make their relationship official.

“On their journey, they will get the chance to meet other like-minded people who share their values and desire to build a family as well as a true partner who loves them for who they are and not what they look like,” Netflix says.

“They will have the opportunity to deepen connections, fall in love and even propose – all before actually seeing each other.”

Love is Blind Habibi joins a growing number of international reality shows getting their Middle Eastern franchise, including Bravo's Real Housewives of Dubai, which made its debut in 2022. The second season of Dubai Bling, another Netflix reality show, had its premiere in December.