DUBAI: Global star Will Smith walked the blue carpet in Dubai on Monday for the Middle East’s premiere of National Geographic’s “Pole to Pole with Will Smith,” marking the regional launch of his seven-part global exploration series.

The event was held at the SEE Institute in The Sustainable City Dubai, the region’s first net-zero emissions building, and brought together government officials, regional celebrities, content creators and sustainability advocates.

Following a private screening of the first episode, Smith took part in a live onstage Q&A session alongside Allison Fong, Richard Parks and Bryan Fry, three of the experts involved in the series.

Five years in the making, the cinematic docuseries follows Smith’s travels from the ice fields of Antarctica to the Amazon rainforest, the Himalayas, African deserts, Pacific islands, and the Arctic, exploring both extreme environments and the people who study and protect them.

Faris Saeed, the founder and chairman of SEE Holding, said the series “reminds us that progress is not only about how advanced we become, but by how deeply we remain connected to our humanity and our planet,” adding that future cities must bring people and nature closer together.

The premiere was produced by KS Konnect, the strategic consultancy founded by Kris Fade and Sarah Omolewu.

Omolewu said hosting the event in Dubai was “deeply meaningful” and reflected both the city’s status as a cultural hub and Smith’s commitment to purpose-driven storytelling.

“Pole to Pole with Will Smith” will air on National Geographic on Jan. 13 at 8 p.m., on National Geographic Abu Dhabi on Jan. 14 at 9 p.m., and will be available to stream on Disney+ from Jan. 14.