‘Omar' is anticipated to be the biggest and most important TV drama series ever produced in recent Middle Eastern TV history.FOLLOWING the screening rights granted to both ATV in Turkey and MNC in Indonesia to broadcast “Omar" Ibn Al-Khattab TV series, “O3 Productions", the production arm of the MBC group, clinched the rights to produce the series to “Future TV" in Lebanon, “Nessma TV" in Tunisia, in addition to “Algerian TV". The Omar series will be dubbed and subtitled in both Turkish and Indonesian languages. “We are always seeking to broadcast the best series and the most powerful in terms of audience-capture during Ramadan," Abdulfattah Amhez, General Manager of Lebanon's Future TV said. “We took the decision to acquire the rights to broadcast Omar," he added. “After viewing the on-screen promotions, and observing the high-quality standards of production we were assured that it is the largest TV production in the Arab World," said Amhez. Farouq Keto, Programming Director at “Nessam TV" in Tunisia, said: “We chose Omar series because it is the largest TV production in the Arab World, as we are keen for our viewers in Tunisia in particular and in the North African markets in general, as well as North Africans based in Europe, to watch this series, specifically the greatness of Caliph Omar's personality, and the magnitude of the production and its grandeur". The airing times of the series on “Nessma TV" will be half an hour after its planned schedule on MBC1, added Keto. In parallel, Omar series continues its global reach with other contracts in the pipeline, and in alignment with other leading networks around the world — in several languages — whether in Muslim or non-Muslim countries, and dubbed or subtitled into English and French, among others. General Manager of O3 Productions, Fadi Ismail, announced earlier that the series journey toward global markets had in effect started on MBC1 and Qatar TV screens, passing by Turkey, Indonesia, and the MENA region through Lebanon, Tunisia and Algeria, reaching other countries and continents, to ensure the huge number of viewers across the world has the opportunity to follow the series and learn the details of the Caliph's march and biography, as the builder of the “Islamic State". It is worth noting that the series is a joint production, between MBC Group and Qatar TV, and embodies the life, path and values of the Caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab — the initiator and builder of the “Islamic State". The production explicitly showcases the path of “Al-Farooq" and the values of equality, good governance, justice, tolerance, wisdom, compassion and leadership, etc. It further sheds light on the personal values of the Caliph, in addition to the preceding social environment highlighting the social values and geographic environment. — SG
