The Dubai skyline is back, the wedding dreams are bigger than ever and a new group of Arab singles are ready to find love without ever laying eyes on their potential partners.
Season two of Love Is Blind Habibi marks the return of the Arabic spin-off of Netflix's hugely popular dating show, which launched in the US in 2020 and has since spawned 13 international versions. The premise remains the same: men and women meet in separate pods, where they can talk but cannot see each other, before deciding whether to propose marriage.
Once engaged, the couples finally meet face to face and have five weeks to get to know each other in the real world, meet their families and decide whether to walk down the aisle.
And judging by the first episode, there is no shortage of hopeful romantics.
“My future wife is somewhere here,” declares car dealer Talal Al Halabi.
“My wedding dress is ready and tailored,” says Rabab Ahmad, another contestant with marriage on her mind.
Entrepreneur Nawras Kurdi is equally optimistic. “Our old lives end here, our new stories begin,” he says.
But finding love is only part of the challenge.
“Parents are very important in our culture,” host Wissam Breidy tells the female contestants. “When you marry someone, you marry their entire family.”
Breidy and his wife, model and actress Rym Saidi, take over hosting duties from Khaled Saqer and Elham Ali for the second season of the Arabic series that premiered in October 2024.
Beginnings of a love triangle
The first connection to take centre stage is between Rita Chamaa, a Lebanese marketing manager, and Ziad Moghrabi, a fellow Lebanese contestant who works as a head of human resources.
Both work in the luxury industry, and their shared backgrounds give them plenty to talk about. But it is a literary coincidence that appears to seal their early connection.
During their conversation, Ziad quotes Rita and the Rifle, a poem by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. Rita, an only child, reveals that her father named her after the poem.
“I love him,” Rita tells the cameras after their conversation, then adds: “But how can I fall in love with someone in just 10 minutes?”
It is a fair question, and one that gets to the heart of the show's premise.
Unfortunately for her, she is not the only woman who catches Ziad's attention.
He also hits it off with Bayan Issa, a Syrian fashion influencer, setting the stage for what looks increasingly like the season's first love triangle.
And before the episode is over, things become considerably more complicated.
Shared passions and difficult questions
Elsewhere in the pods, Syrian entrepreneur Nawras finds common ground with Zeinab Shaaban, a Lebanese entrepreneur. Both share a love of the sea and adventure. Nawras describes himself as an adrenalin junkie, while Zeinab enjoys wakeboarding.
Their conversation flows easily, and both express an interest in meeting again.
But not every connection is quite so straightforward. Faris Al Refai, a 45-year-old tobacco trader from Iraq, finds that his views on parenthood are a potential deal-breaker. He is hesitant about having children, explaining that he worries about becoming a father at his age.
“I'm 45, it will be unfair to me and the kids,” he says. His position puts off several potential partners, but Lebanese contestant Rabab Ahmad, 34, is willing to explore the connection.
The two discover some curious coincidences. Faris reveals that his sister is also named Rabab, while his pilot's licence catches her attention because she has dreamt of earning one herself.
There is, however, one major obstacle: Rabab does want to become a mother. “If I sweep you off your feet, will you be willing to change your mind about fatherhood?” she asks.
“I don't believe in absolutes,” he replies.
It is not exactly a commitment, but it is enough to keep the conversation going and secure another date.
Is Talal Al Halabi a walking red flag?
Another promising connection emerges between Talal Al Halabi, who was born in Abu Dhabi, and Hayat, a Bahraini contestant with a Lebanese mother.
Both were raised by single mothers, giving them an immediate point of understanding. Their shared experiences appear to bring them closer, and she initially seems impressed.
“I didn't see any red flags,” she tells Talal.
But that assessment does not last long. Back in the women's common room, where contestants compare notes about their conversations, it emerges that he may have been telling several women exactly what they wanted to hear.
His apparent eagerness to please quickly raises suspicions.
“Talal is a walking red flag,” one contestant declares.
Cliffhanger ending
But the biggest drama is reserved for Ziad.
After forming connections with both Rita and Bayan, he meets another contestant, Ranouna Essafi, and tells her he has already made up his mind.
Naturally, that information makes its way back to the women's common room. The question is obvious: has he chosen Rita and Bayan?
For Rita, who appeared so smitten after their first conversation, the uncertainty is enough to prompt a confrontation. She returns to the pod to ask Ziad where things stand.
“I don't know where to start,” he replies, just as the credits roll on the first episode, leaving viewers with a cliffhanger and plenty to look forward to.
All 10 episodes of Love Is Blind Habibi season two is streaming now
