Four Chinese Dramas Coming Soon to the Middle East

Dr. Mohamed Saad

The Chinese-Arabic satellite television channel, based in Dubai, recently announced that its flagship program "China Theater" will offer four new television series, which have enjoyed great popularity in China and won multiple international awards: "The Flower of National Beauty", "Wind and Storm", "My Altay", and "The Old Hull Has a New Owner". This joint broadcast of the four series is sponsored by PetroChina in the Middle East under its commercial brand "E-Light" (Energy Light). It is worth noting that all four series are dubbed into Arabic and will be broadcast in the Middle East region, thus covering 22 Arab countries in Western Asia and North Africa, inhabited by some 500 million people, opening a new window for Arab audiences to learn about Chinese culture and understand contemporary China.

The "E-Light" brand is an innovative insignia launched by PetroChina to connect with the world, meaning "Energy light illuminates the world"; that is, the world is illuminated by the light of energy, the Earth is protected through green development, prosperity is promoted through win-win cooperation, and hearts are brought closer through civilizational exchange. Building upon the "Belt and Road" Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, the Chinese company has rooted itself in the Middle East, working to serve the countries of the region and integrating into their social fabric. In addition to deepening cooperation in the energy sector, it also plays the role of a cultural exchange ambassador. It is worth noting that the "China Theater" program, broadcast on the Chinese-Arabic satellite channel, is a prominent program launched with the support of the National Radio and Television Administration of China. The sponsorship of this program on the Chinese-Arabic satellite channel under the "E-Light" (Energy Light) brand is an innovative initiative that brings energy cooperation and civilizational exchange hand in hand, clearly demonstrating that the company is not only an energy producer, but also a cultural broadcaster and a builder of friendship.

In recent years, cooperation between China and Arab countries in the fields of media, film, and television has experienced steady expansion, and Arab audiences' choices regarding Chinese visual content have become more diverse and rich. Observers consider that this type of cooperation helps provide Arab audiences with more materials to familiarize themselves with Chinese society and understand China through exceptional series.

The series "The Flower of National Beauty", for example, is a historical dramatic work that takes peony flower culture as its central axis and tells the story of a woman who rises and develops herself. The costumes and visual aspect of the series were inspired by the Dunhuang murals, clearly reflecting the splendor of the Tang Dynasty, rich in cultural treasures and oriental aesthetic beauty. It is worth mentioning that views of the clips of this series on one of the social media platforms reached 14.73 billion views.

Meanwhile, the series "Wind and Storm" is a realistic work that narrates the struggle story of Xu Bansha, the protagonist, who started from scratch in the iron and steel industry in the 1990s. Through a simple character, the work reflects a great era and embodies the growing prosperity of the private economy in China. The spirit of independence, self-reliance, boldness, and struggle shown by Chinese women in the series is likely to deeply resonate with the conscience of the Arab public.

Meanwhile, the series "My Altay" presents from a unique perspective the natural landscapes and human sentiments of the Altay region in Xinjiang, becoming one of the most prominent Chinese television drama works of recent years. It is the first long-form Chinese series to enter the official competition of the Cannes Television Festival and won the best series award at the 29th Asian Television Awards. Following its successful broadcast in Central Asia, its warm narrative style is likely to generate a deep and similar resonance among Middle Eastern audiences.