Dubai once famously once turned down the “Sex and the City” ladies, but the “Real Housewives” have gotten the green light.
Bravo announced on Monday that the network is expanding the table-flipping and increasingly true crime-adjacent franchise to its first official international locale with “The Real Housewives of Dubai.”
Premiering in 2022, the series will follow a group of women “navigating their relationships, careers and supremely lavish and ultra-wealthy lifestyles in the United Arab Emirates,” according to Bravo. “With the desert paradise of Dubai as the backdrop, this billionaire’s playground is known for its over-the-top opulence, jaw-dropping modern architecture and wild nightlife scene.”
The series marks the 11th edition of the hugely successful reality TV juggernaut after its most recent spinoff “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” which debuted in 2020 and has become one of its most popular offerings.
While there have been previous international editions bearing the “Real Housewives” label sold around the world ― from Melbourne to Vancouver and beyond ― this will be the first official version produced by the network abroad.
Announcing the news on “Today” early Monday morning, executive producer Andy Cohen enthusiastically described the new locale as “the city of gold” and a “desert oasis.”
“We have a great group of friends,” he teased. “This is going to blow the lid off the entire franchise.”
“Everything’s bigger in Dubai,” Cohen added in a press release. “And I couldn’t be more excited to launch Bravo’s first international ‘Housewives’ series in a city I’ve been fascinated by for years, with an outstanding group of friends as our guides.”
The franchise has previously filmed in the United Arab Emirates when the cast of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” traveled to Dubai back in 2016 and memorably stayed in the $30,000 a night suite at the Atlantic Palm.
Bravo has yet to announce the cast, but fans have already zeroed in on at least one potential new housewife: Caroline Stanbury. She previously appeared on a “Real Housewives”-esque series “Ladies of London” for three seasons on the network and has since relocated to the United Arab Emirates, where she lives with her soccer player beau Sergio Carrallo.
The announcement arrives amid a period of growth for Bravo as new offerings will soon begin to pop up on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock. In November, “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip,” which unites fan favorites from various cities as they vacation together, premieres before the fourth season of the recently revived “The Real Housewives of Miami” arrives in December.
Watch a teaser for “The Real Housewives of Dubai” below.