PTV has resumed the Arabic dubbing of two Urdu drama serials as part of a cultural exchange program initiated between Islamabad and Riyadh last year. The latest is that Pakistan’s popular drama serial Dhoop Kinare is all set to air in Saudi Arabia this year with Arabic dubbing. Former information Minister, Fawad Chaudhry recently shared the news.
He took to Twitter to announce the progress on the cultural collaboration with Saudi Arabia.
Pak Dramas Dubbing in Arabic resumes, to be shown in KSA
It follows former information minister Fawad Chaudhry’s visit to the Saudi capital last year wherein he had announced Islamabad’s plans to exports its television series to the Kingdom soon. https://t.co/CCV1rXSjmp— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) June 24, 2020
Earlier in September 2019, it was reported that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are working towards increasing cultural exchange between the two countries and that Pakistani TV dramas will soon be exported to Saudi Arabia. According to Arab News, three serials have since been selected for dubbing, namely Dhoop Kinare, Tanhaiyan and Aahat. However, PTV officials cited delays in the dubbing process of the latter two due to budget constraints.
The Arabic version of Dhoop Kinare, however, has been completed, according to Dr. Lubna Farah, a translation expert who is supervising the project. Starring Rahat Kazmi, Marina Khan, Badar Khalil and Sajid Hassan, Dhoop Kirane is written by Haseena Moin and directed by Sahira Kazmi.
“Work has resumed on the project and [the finished product] will soon be given probably to Saudi Arabia and the UAE [to air on] their television channels,†Information Minister Shibli Faraz told Arab News.
Unfortunately, the fate of the other two serials is still unclear.
“The project was initiated three years ago… the other two [Tanhaiyan and Aahat] could not be completed because of the non-availability of the remaining funds,†said Shazia Sikander, a former international affairs director at PTV during whose tenure the project was started.
This is the first time PTV has dubbed a local TV production for Saudi viewers. The project was initiated by Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman as part of his vision to modernize the Kingdom where cinemas, concerts and other forms of entertainment have been banned for years. He wants to create new avenues of entertainment for his people.
Earlier we reported that Feroze Khan’s popular drama serial Khaani was dubbed in Arabic and aired in Saudi Arabia on prime time slot.
