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Abu Dhabi Augments Its Production Capabilities
With First Arabic Soap Opera Inheritance
Building A Dedicated Studio For The Project
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Since taking the helm of twofour54, H.E. Maryam Eid AlMheiri (above), now Vice Chair of twofour54, strategically enhanced the range and capabilities of the facility based in the United Arab Emirates. twofour54 Abu Dhabi, MBC Studios and Image Nation Abu Dhabi have entered into partnership to produce the world’s first Arabic-language soap opera Inheritance, scheduled to begin principal photography in December, with the first episode expected to air in the first quarter of 2020.
H.E. Maryam Eid AlMheiri, Vice Chair of twofour54, said: “Partnering with MBC Studios and Image Nation to produce the world’s first Arab soap opera is truly a landmark moment in Arab entertainment industry and cultural history. Over recent years, twofour54 has worked tirelessly to enhance the film and TV industry and attract talented filmmakers, writers, and actors to consider Abu Dhabi as a filming location. It’s imperative that these talents are supported by world-class infrastructure, regulations, and services. This is what we have aimed to do at twofour54, and our work with some of the biggest global content producers – from Disney to Netflix – is testament to our thriving ecosystem. The creation of Inheritance is an indication of our region’s rapidly growing media and entertainment industry and will serve as a catalyst to inspire the next generation of storytellers to create more original Arabic content.” 
L-R Peter Smith, Managing Director MBC and Tony Gordon Showrunner
Peter Smith, Managing Director – MBC Studios said: “twofour54 has overseen numerous productions from all parts of the world, offering producers a unique support system and production infrastructure while also excelling in Arabic-language content. We are thrilled to have agreed to a long-term production deal – the first of its kind in the Arab world – with Her Excellency Maryam AlMheiri and her team.”
Ben Ross, Chief Content Officer of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, said: “This major production demonstrates the scale and ambition that Abu Dhabi’s entertainment industry has achieved. Even more importantly, a show of this scale will fuel the market’s ongoing growth by providing consistent and significant openings for talent – both in front of and behind the camera. We are honoured to be working with our longstanding partners at MBC Studios and twofour54 to bring this landmark project to life.”
Peter Smith continued: “We appreciate Image Nation’s support and resources to nurture the region’s talent. These soaps are very labour intensive and collectively we view this agreement as a long-term opportunity to rapidly develop aspiring production professionals through extensive training of local cast, crew and writers. When it comes to producing key long-running shows in Abu Dhabi, this is only the beginning.”
Inheritance was created for MBC Studios by British writer and showrunner Tony Jordan. During his time on BBC 1’s long running soap EastEnders, Tony was responsible for creating some of the show’s best loved characters and planning some of the most iconic storylines in the show’s history. Tony 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 ground-breaking and I think we’ve created something really special.”
Under the agreement and partnership, a dedicated studio was built for the show in Abu Dhabi which will serve as the main location for filming. twofour54 has invested directly in the production, and MBC will benefit from the Abu Dhabi Film Commission’s 30% rebate on production spend in the Emirate. Both parties will work closely with Image Nation Abu Dhabi on talent and script development for the project.
Anchoring long-term production in the UAE will have a significant impact on Abu Dhabi’s thriving media and production industry. The soap opera is slated to shoot for more than 250 days of the year, and the production team estimates the show will generate over 200 jobs in the first year alone. 
Boxing Girls from MBC
The development of Inheritance is the latest milestone in twofour54’s longstanding partnership with MBC. In 2015, both parties signed a three-year agreement to grow the number of quality Arabic drama productions in Abu Dhabi and the region. This has resulted in a broad range of Arabic content, including Haret El Sheikh, Hob Bila Hudood, season one of Boxing Girls, as well as the first two seasons of critically acclaimed series Al Asouf.
About twofour54
twofour54, home to Abu Dhabi’s media and entertainment industry, aims to cultivate Abu Dhabi’s media free zone and provide products and services to attract local, regional and international media businesses to the Emirate. Tasked with enabling a new generation of creative leaders and building Abu Dhabi as the Middle East’s leading hub for content creation, twofour54 provides world-class production facilities, talent development initiatives and training, and business support services for media companies. Named after the geographical coordinates of Abu Dhabi, twofour54 is now home to more than 470 media companies – including Sky News Arabia, Image Nation, Ubisoft, CNN, Fox, Flash Entertainment and M&C Saatchi – as well as a bi-lingual freelancer pool and a community of aspiring media talents. twofour54 is operated under the ownership of Media Zone Authority–Abu Dhabi, a government entity.
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