With more and more streaming services launching in the region, we have access to a host of celebrated TV series in their entirety here in the UAE.
But between Amazon Prime, Netflix, OSN Streaming (formerly Wavo) and Starzplay – the four most prominent streaming services in the Emirates – keeping up with which shows you'll find where can be tricky.
There is a wealth of great TV out there, available to be streamed online from start to finish – from multi-series hits such as Breaking Bad and The Sopranos, to more current award winners, including Big Little Lies and Fleabag; gripping dramas such as This Is Us and Mad Men; as well as comedies including Veep and 30 Rock.
Here, we have tracked down a host of English-language shows and listed where exactly you can watch them online in this handy guide. The shows have been complied alphabetically and separated by genre.
Where to watch drama TV series in the UAE
'Better Call Saul'
Three of the five AMC and Netflix-made seasons of the Breaking Bad spin-off are available to watch.
Netflix: Seasons 1-3
'Big Little Lies'
The TV adaptation of Liane Moriarty's book, starring Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, and Meryl Streep in season two, is available in its entirety on OSN's streaming service.
OSN Streaming: Seasons 1-2
'Boardwalk Empire'
Catch up on all five seasons of the American Prohibition era period drama.
OSN Streaming: Seasons 1-5
'Breaking Bad'
All five seasons of the acclaimed American crime drama, starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, are available.
Netflix: Seasons 1-5
'Dawson’s Creek'
Indulge your inner teen with a six-season-long trip down memory lane with Katie Holmes, James Van Der Beek and Joshua Jackson.
Amazon Prime: Seasons 1-6
Starzplay: Seasons 1-6
'Downton Abbey'
For a slice of British TV period drama, all six seasons are available on Amazon Prime.
Amazon Prime: Seasons 1-6
'Game of Thrones'
For the handful of people who haven't watched Game of Thrones, all 73 episodes of the adaption of George RR Martin's fantasy series are available.
OSN Streaming: Seasons 1-8
'Grey’s Anatomy'
If medical series are your thing, you have 15 or 16 series to catch up on with this long-running drama, depending on your streaming site of choice.
OSN Streaming: Seasons 1-16
Starzplay: Seasons 1-15
'Homeland'
The spy drama series is available with a number of providers, but the eighth and final series is only (currently) shown through OSN.
Netflix: Seasons 1-7
OSN Streaming: Season 8
Starzplay: Seasons 1-7
'House'
Here's another hospital drama to get your teeth into in full, this time starring Hugh Laurie in the main role.
Amazon Prime: Seasons 1-8
Starzplay: Seasons 1-8
'Killing Eve'
Crime drama Killing Eve returns to screens this week, but if you're not abreast with the antics of MI5 officer Eve and assassin Villanelle, catch up with OSN.
OSN Streaming: Seasons 1-2 (showing season 3 from Monday, April 13)
'Lost'
All six seasons of castaway drama, Lost, which wrapped up in 2010, are available to stream.
OSN Streaming: Seasons 1-6
Starzplay: Seasons 1-6
'Mad Men'
Step back in time to 1960s New York with this period drama, starring Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss.
Netflix: Seasons 1-7
Starzplay: Seasons 1-7
'Orange is the New Black'
The prison drama has seven gripping series to offer on Netflix.
Netflix: Seasons 1-7
'Sex and the City'
Fashion, friends and New York City: before the films came Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte's six-season show, which you can watch in full.
OSN Streaming: Seasons 1-6
'Stranger Things'
We know that a much-anticipated Stranger Things 4 is coming at some stage this year. Spend self-isolation catching up on series one to three.
Netflix: Seasons 1-3
'Suits'
Before she was the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle was Rachel in Suits. She appears in seven of the nine series.
OSN Streaming: Seasons 1-9
Netflix: Seasons 1-8
'The Americans'
This spy thriller series has a cult following. It stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as Russian agents, posing as a regular American couple during the Cold War.
Starzplay: Seasons 1-6
'The O.C.'
For anyone looking for a dose of noughties nostalgia, time spent with Summer, Seth, Ryan and Marissa in California's Orange County will be time well spent.
Starzplay: Seasons 1-4
'The Handmaid’s Tale'
An adaptation of Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel, which may feel all too real at times. Two of the three released series are available on Starzplay; a fourth is scheduled for global release in autumn.
Starzplay: Seasons 1-2
'The Sopranos'
Often hailed as one of the best series of all time, watch all 86 episodes through OSN's streaming service.
OSN Streaming: Seasons 1-6
'The Wire'
Another lauded series to spend your time at home catching up on, if you're yet to watch it. Or simply spend the time in isolation revisiting the 60 episodes of premium crime drama.
OSN Streaming: Seasons 1-5
'This is Us'
The American family drama is available to stream, in part, via Amazon Prime. The only problem you face, after falling in love with the characters, is having to wait until season four is available in the UAE.
Amazon Prime: Seasons 1-3
Where to watch comedy TV series in the UAE
'30 Rock'
The comedy series had a seven-season-strong run globally, but you can get a fix with the first three series on Starzplay.
Starzplay: Seasons 1-3
'The Big Bang Theory'
All 12 series of the family-friendly comedy are available in the UAE.
Starzplay: Seasons 1-12
'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'
Crime comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine is available in full, when you know where you're looking.
Netflix: Seasons 1-6
OSN Streaming: Season 7
'Community'
Community ran from 2009 to 2015, and all six series are available to stream.
Amazon Prime: Seasons 1-6
Netflix: Seasons 1-6
'Fleabag'
Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag may only have a total of 12 episodes, but at just under 30 minutes each, it offers around five-and-a-half hours of great TV to keep you busy.
Amazon Prime: Seasons 1-2
'Friends'
Netflix: Seasons 1-10
Starzplay: Seasons 1-10
'How I Met Your Mother'
All nine seasons of this easy-watch comedy, with in-jokes aplenty, are available in the UAE.
Netflix: Seasons 1-9
'Parks and Recreation'
Another ray of sunshine in TV comedy form, Parks and Recreation could be the show to give you a much-needed virtual hug. Starring Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman and Chris Pratt, it follows the often absurd antics of a US government office. Treat yo' self to watching ... if you haven't already.
Amazon Prime: Seasons 1-7
Starzplay: Seasons 1-7
'South Park'
Yes, there are a total of 23 seasons (and 307 episodes) of this switched-on and very adult cartoon, but 16 are available here in the UAE. That takes you up to 2012 in the show's timeline, offering 237 episodes.
Netflix: Seasons 1-16
'The Office' (USA)
Only the American version of Ricky Gervais's mockumentary is available in the UAE – and at nine seasons, it will certainly keep you busy.
Amazon Prime: Seasons 1-9
OSN Streaming: Seasons 1-9
Starzplay: Seasons 1-9
'Veep'
An astute political comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the vice president of the United States. All seven series are available in full.
OSN Streaming: Seasons 1-7
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
RESULTS
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Results
2pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: Mouheeb, Tom Marquand (jockey), Nicholas Bachalard (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Honourable Justice, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dark Silver, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Dark Of Night. Antonio Fresu, Al Muhairi.
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Habah, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
