MAKKAH, 5 May 2008 — Syrian director Waleed Al-Aqil is currently working on a new television series, titled “Jari Ya Hamouda,” which portrays middle class life in a Saudi setting.
Saudi actors Yousuf Al-Jarrah and Shireen Khatab, who made their mark in Tash Ma Tash, are in the film’s lead roles; the cast includes several new actors.
Most of the scenes are being shot in Riyadh and Jeddah, Shireen told Arab News yesterday. She added that the story revolves around a Saudi family and their two Arab neighbors.
The series, with 30 episodes, will be aired on MBC in September at the start of the Ramadan season. Shireen said she would also appear in “Ghashamsham,” another comedy serial to be screened in September.
Commenting on the role of women actors in the Kingdom, Shireen said she was disappointed about the attitude of Saudi society toward female artists. “We don’t get any support in the Kingdom, while women artists are encouraged in other Arab and Gulf countries,” she said.
She added that she decided not to try her luck outside the Kingdom because Saudi production companies, who play a dominant role in the Arab world, were only promoting non-Saudi actresses.
