Next 'Real Housewives' spinoff will be set Dubai, producers announce

Next 'Real Housewives' spinoff will be set Dubai, producers announce
The producer of the successful reality TV franchise 'The Real Housewives' announced the show will come to Dubai, reaching what promises to be a new high of drama and opulence.
2 min read
02 November, 2021
The Real Housewives of New Jersey attend Bravo's "The Fashion Show" Finale in 2009 in New York City. [Getty]

The next version of the reality TV franchise "Real Housewives" will take place in Dubai, the executive producer of the show Andy Cohen announced on Monday.

The reality show follows the lives of glamourous women across the US and fans are excited about the first installment from the glitzy Gulf city.

"Get your passports, our 11th city! We are going to the billionaire's playground, the city of gold, the desert oasis - 'The Real Housewives of Dubai,'" Cohen revealed on the US-based "Today Show".

While some fans of the show expressed excitement about the show being broadcast from the UAE - famous for its five-star venues and opulence - others were quick to highlight human rights concerns about the poor treatment of minorities in the country, including women and members of the LGBT+ community.

The UAE ranks 120th in gender inequality on a list of 153 countries, according to 2020 rankings by the World Economic Forum. The country is also on the list of the 20 most dangerous countries for travellers from the LGBTQ+ community according to Forbes Magazine. 

"Placing this franchise in Dubai - a place where it's illegal to be gay (...) is an interesting choice," tweeted NBC reporter Doha Madani.

Spinoffs of the "Real Housewives" have aired across the globe. But it is the first time Bravo TV, which produced versions of the "The Real Housewives" across the United States - including New York, Beverly Hills and Miami - has gone international.