UK’s Channel 4 announces new reality TV series ‘Made in Dubai’

Dubai also had a particularly high-profile year on television, with several reality TV shows set among its skyscrapers, exposure that helped promote the image of the city worldwide. (AFP/File)
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Updated 08 November 2022
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UK’s Channel 4 announces new reality TV series ‘Made in Dubai’

  • Series will showcase city’s real estate market from unique perspective
  • Show adds to Dubai’s already successful year on small screen

LONDON: British broadcaster Channel 4 on Monday announced the launch of a new reality TV series, “Made in Dubai.”

Network bosses said the production would be a six-hour series, made in collaboration with Angel Eye Media, that delved into the UAE’s vibrant real estate market and went behind the scenes at one of the largest brokerages in the country.

The show will follow a group of managers and agents at real estate property agency Betterhomes, giving viewers what producers described as “an insight into their lives and the real estate market in Dubai as they sell some of the most sought-after homes.”

Rita Daniels, commissioning editor at Channel 4, said: “This exciting new series will delve into Dubai’s ultra-glamorous, highly competitive real estate world.

“It’s set to feature the most incredible and stunning properties and hugely talented brokers. We are set to be amazed as we watch them battle to secure outlandishly expensive deals that could potentially earn them eye-watering amounts of commission.”

With more than 35 years of experience in selling properties in Dubai, Betterhomes’ group managing director, Richard Waind, said the agency had been “delighted to work with Angel Eye and Channel 4 to show the world what Dubai has to offer.”

In recent years, Dubai has witnessed a period of rapid economic growth. The UAE’s effective management of the coronavirus pandemic, the safety of the country, and its alluring tax benefits have all helped to reinvigorate the image of the city and make it and the nation one of the world’s most popular places to move to.

Following the success of Expo 2020, the luxury market has experienced significant growth throughout this year with an average increase of 64 percent in the number of monthly transactions compared to the previous year.

Dubai also had a particularly high-profile year on television, with several reality TV shows set among its skyscrapers, exposure that helped promote the image of the city worldwide.

Netflix’s “Dubai Bling” and Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Dubai” both gained international attention highlighting the lavish lifestyles of some of the city’s residents.

Earlier this year, BBC Three aired the two-part docuseries “Dubai Hustle,” a similar concept to “Made in Dubai,” which followed a group of 20-something real estate brokers from agency haus and haus.

Ollie Durrant, creative director at Angel Eye Media, said: “Dubai is one of the most sought-after places to live and work in the world, attracting people from all over the planet to enjoy a luxurious, tax-free lifestyle.

“‘Made in Dubai’ will follow the efforts of the brokers to make their dream a reality while giving us a sneak peek through the doors of some of the most amazing homes you’ll ever see.”

“Made in Dubai” does not yet have a release date. However, it is expected the show will be divided into six parts.


Israel arrests 2 Turkish CNN journalists over live broadcast outside IDF HQ

Updated 03 March 2026
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Israel arrests 2 Turkish CNN journalists over live broadcast outside IDF HQ

  • Police said reporter Emrah Cakmak and cameraman Halil Kahraman were detained on suspicion of filming a sensitive security facility
  • Since the Gaza war began, restrictions have expanded significantly, including tighter limits on filming soldiers on duty and sensitive or strategic sites

LONDON: Israeli police have arrested two Turkish CNN journalists who were broadcasting live outside the Israel Defense Forces’ headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Police said the pair were detained on suspicion of filming a sensitive security facility, according to the Israel Police Spokesperson’s Unit.

Reporter Emrah Cakmak and cameraman Halil Kahraman, from the network’s Turkish-language channel, had been reporting near the IDF’s Kirya military headquarters on Tuesday after Iran launched another missile barrage at Tel Aviv and other parts of central Israel.

During the live broadcast, two men believed to be soldiers approached the crew and seized the reporter’s phone, according to initial reports and a video circulating online that could not be independently verified.

Police said officers were dispatched after receiving reports of two people carrying cameras and allegedly broadcasting in real time for a foreign outlet.

Israel’s long-standing military censorship system, overseen by the IDF Military Censor, has long barred journalists and civilians from publishing material deemed harmful to national security.

Since the Gaza war began, restrictions have expanded significantly, including tighter limits on filming soldiers on duty and sensitive or strategic sites.

After a series of similar incidents involving foreign media — most of them Palestinian citizens of Israel working for Arab-language and international media, along with foreign journalists — during the 12-Day War, Israeli police halted live international broadcasts from missile impact sites, citing concerns that exact locations were being revealed.

The Government Press Office later imposed a blanket ban on live coverage from crash and impact areas.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir subsequently ordered that all foreign journalists obtain prior written approval from the military censor before broadcasting — live or recorded — from combat zones or missile strike locations.

Police said that when officers asked the CNN Turk crew to identify themselves, they presented expired press cards and were taken in for questioning.

Burhanettin Duran, head of Turkiye’s Directorate of Communications, condemned the arrests as an attack on the press and said Ankara is working to secure the journalists’ release.