World's 'first Arabic soap opera' to be set in Abu Dhabi

'Inheritance' is being created by a former 'Eastenders' showrunner and will be shot for 250 days a year in Abu Dhabi

Former 'Eastenders' showrunner Tony Jordan will head up 'Inheritance.' Courtesy Twofour54

Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Twofour54 Abu Dhabi and MBC Studios announced a new partnership to produce what they are calling "the world's first Arabic-language soap opera", Inheritance.

Although there are many long-running Arabic drama series, Inheritance claims to be the first that will run with an open-ended soap opera narrative, with no season breaks, indefinitely. The world's longest-running soap opera, the UK's Coronation Street, will celebrate its 60th birthday next year.

Tony Jordan, a former showrunner and writer on Coronation Street's biggest UK rival, Eastenders, which has itself run on the BBC for almost 35 years, will serve as the show's creator.

A dedicated studio will be built for the show in Abu Dhabi and it will serve as the main location for filming. The show will mark the first time Twofour54 has invested directly in a production, and MBC is set to benefit from the Abu Dhabi Film Commission’s 30 per cent rebate on production spending in the Emirate. Both parties will work closely with Image Nation Abu Dhabi on talent and script development for the project.

Anchoring a long-term production in the UAE should also have a significant effect on Abu Dhabi's media and production industry. The soap opera 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. Inheritance is also expected to act as a magnet, creating demand and work that will attract new companies to Abu Dhabi to support its development.

Jordan said: "One of my long-held ambitions has been to create and help develop major drama projects outside the UK. This project is truly groundbreaking and I think we've created something really special."

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