Now that Ramadan has arrived, broadcasters and streaming platforms have unveiled their most ambitious productions. New titles are promoted heavily, familiar stars return to prime time and viewers begin comparing notes on favourite shows through out the month.
Yet beyond the changing casts and shifting storylines, something more consistent is at play. Ramadan television may differ from one series to the next, but the way these shows are constructed and consumed reveals a long standing format shaped by the month itself.
Here are five characteristics of Ramadan television.
1. They are built for the living room
Ramadan television is rooted in communal viewing.
It serves as an annual, temporary return to a time when families gathered in living rooms to watch programmes at an appointed hour. More than the practical reason of breaking the fast together, what keeps them seated are expertly produced shows familiar with family dynamics.
Regardless of genre, these are programmes designed to appeal across generations, with stories set in different parts of the Arab world but laced with humour and pathos to elicit shared emotion.
This helps explain why pioneering Saudi comedy Tash Ma Tash was adored across the region during its long run through its 19 season run beginning in 1993. While the stories focused squarely on everyday Saudi life, the way it showcased the absurdity of bureaucracy and family relationships was something audiences everywhere could appreciate.
This year’s offerings continue that unifying approach. The fifth season of Emirati hit Wadima wa Halima on Dubai TV has even reached Levantine viewers because, despite its colloquial humour, it is essentially a story about friendship and rivalry.
Even shows that take a darker turn can still hold a family audience. The Syrian production Al Yateem on Sharjah TV centres on an orphaned boy caught in a family inheritance dispute, a premise that pulls at universal emotions and sustains the attention of all at home.
2. They follow a familiar pattern
The Ramadan television schedule often follows a familiar rhythm. It begins in the hour leading up to sunset, when it is time to break the fast, with a mix of spiritual and socially conscious programming. Abu Dhabi TV’s Ahl Al Ataa, for example, follows individuals facing personal hardship who, with the support of relevant organisations, find their way back on their feet, reconnect with their families and reintegrate into society.
The period between iftar and the evening Ishaa prayers tends to feature lighter comedies and dramas. Later in the evening come the season’s headline premieres, including this year’s Efrag (Shahid), starring Amr Saad as a man emerging from prison to find his neighbourhood and family irrevocably changed.
3. They are morality tales
For nearly 50 years, Ramadan dramas have functioned as morality plays that invite discussion. Egyptian classics, screened in the 1980s and 1990s such as Mal Wal Banoun and Layali Al Hilmiya examined the corrosive effects of jealousy and greed as they tore apart established families. Even more recent hits such as El Maddah, which incorporates supernatural themes, remain grounded in questions of faith, responsibility and consequence.
This season continues that tradition. Rouge Aswad (Viu), the rare legal series starring Rania Youssef and set within Egypt’s Family Court, follows a group of women whose lives intersect through divorce cases and marital disputes. The ensemble includes Mai Selim, Lekaa El Khamisy and Dalia Mostafa. Legal dramas such as Rouge Aswad place personal failure before formal judgment.
As for Shahid’s Sawa Sawa, it centres on a love triangle in which Ahlam, played by Huda El Mofti, is torn between two men who view relationships in fundamentally different ways.
Across genres, the writing returns repeatedly to consequence.
4. They are ensemble-driven
Although Ramadan promotions often highlight a single star, the storytelling rarely rests on one character alone. Thirty episodes require a large cast to ensure a fully realised world.
Khatawat Saghira (Yango Play) is a case in point, a sprawling Khaleeji family saga led by a distinguished cast including Egypt’s Hiba El Dori, Kuwait’s Hamad Al Omani, Bahraini actress Reem Arhama and Emirati veteran Habib Ghuloum.
While Youssef El Sherif may be the leading name in Egyptian crime drama Fan El Harb (Yango Play), only a few episodes into the season it is already clear that the presence of co-stars Sherine Adel and Reem Mostafa is integral to this family-centred narrative.
5. They are written for a month, not a binge
Strong Ramadan dramas and comedies are written with the understanding that many viewers will not tune in from the beginning.
Many rely on word of mouth to build audiences into the second week. As a result, key developments are often reinforced in dialogue, character motivations are clarified more than once, and flashbacks are often used to restore context.
Some may find this approach rather inelegant, but it functions as an open invitation, allowing viewers to join the story at different points without feeling excluded.
