Netflix’s latest original Middle Eastern series, is a youthful high school drama produced with a full female Arab cast and crew.
Titled AlRawabi School for Girls, the show is written and directed by Jordanian director Tima Shomali in collaboration with writer Shirin Kamal.
AlRawabi School for Girls is the story of how a bullied girl gets revenge on her bullies, only to find out that no one is all bad, and no one is all good, including herself.
Commenting on the new series, Simran Sethi, Director of International Originals at Netflix, said: “We are extremely proud to partner with Tima again to produce what is essentially the first Middle Eastern young adult series that celebrates the role of women, not only on screen, but behind the scenes as well. The story brings a fresh perspective to Middle Eastern content, and we are absolutely excited to shareAl Rawabi School for Girls with our global audiences in over 190 countries.”
The second Middle Eastern original is reflective of Netflix’s commitment to investing in the Middle East and exploring more great stories and talent. Along with providing Middle Eastern filmmakers and audiences a global platform to tell and hear different stories outside the mainstream.
Commenting on the production of the series, Tima Shomali said: “AlRawabi School for Girls is a very dear project to my heart. It depicts the stories and struggles of young Arab women in a light that we hadn’t yet seen before in the region, particularly with this age group. It’s a show that stems from the eyes of women about women and I am really pleased to collaborate with Netflix and have the opportunity to tell the stories of young women in our region on such a global platform.”
Build on this sentiment, Shirin Kamal said: “The Middle East has a multitude of stories and layers that other parts of the world may have not encountered, and I hope that AlRawabi School for Girls not only resonates with women in the Middle East, but women from all over the world.”
Tima Shomali was also part of Netflix’s Ramadan “She Rules” campaign in 2017, with 30 other female content creators and social media influencers, which aimed to celebrate strong female leads, both on and off the screen.
Tima had announced the show to her fans on Instagram, you can check out her video announcement here. Comments and messages poured in from her fans congratulating Tima and expressing their excitement for the show.
Al Rawabi School for Girls, that will be produced in collaboration with Filmizion, is the second Middle Eastern original from Netflix after Jinn, which features a cast of up and coming talent from Jordan. Launching in 2019, the show reflects Netflix’s interest in continuing to invest in Arabic content from the Middle East.
