By Farah al-Sweel
Turkey is expecting the number of Saudi tourists this year
to top 100,000, including King Abdullah's wife Hissa
al-Shaalan, who has been the subject of YouTube videos showing
her swanning through the markets and sweet-shops of Istanbul.
Spanish-language soap operas have been shown on Arab
television in the lucrative Saudi and Gulf markets in recent
years with classical Arabic voice-overs.
"I don't like all that Maria Mercedes nonsense," says Dania
Nugali, 16, referring to a popular Mexican soap. "I feel like I
am in Arabic literature class when I watch Mexican shows. But
when I watch Noor, I definitely feel that it is entertainment."
Yet the main pull has been the co-star Muhannad,
24-year-old Turkish actor and model Kivanc Tatlitu.
"It seems most viewers are female," said Hana Rahman, who
runs an Arab entertainment blog (waleg). "They're so swept
away by the main character. He's become a heartthrob here! He
has even caused divorce cases in Saudi Arabia."
The drama, which made poor ratings when first shown in
Turkey in 2005, centers around a family whose patriarch strives
to ensure his sons focus on the family business and maintain
cohesion without straying into romantic temptation.
"We made the series with a Turkish audience in mind,"
Tatlitu told al-Arabiya Television during a recent visit to
Dubai. "The fact that it has amassed such a following in the
Arab world just proves how much our cultures have in common."
Many Saudi women explained their devotion to the show as a
form of escapism from stifling, love-less marriages.
"Our men are rugged and unyielding," quipped a 26-year-old
house-frau who preferred to remain unnamed. "I wake up and see
a cold and detached man lying next to me, I look out the window
and see dust. It is all so dull. On Noor, I see beautiful
faces, the beautiful feelings they share and beautiful
scenery."
(Editing by Summer Said and Mary Gabriel)
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