Secrets of Arabia

What is life like for people living in one of the world’s most conservative and richest countries? ‘Saudi Arabia – The West’ examines and finds answers to this question in Jeddah, a port city on the Red Sea, for example, were the ballerina Jumana dreams of being allowed to perform publicly, one day, while young Ali makes the pilgrimage to Mecca once a year, to purge himself. In the mountains of Asir, people prefer to remember the traditions of their forefathers, before the Saudi royal family became almighty, when the oil was still hidden deep beneath the desert sands.

Spectacular rock formations, never-ending desert landscapes and a culture dating back thousands of years: Saudi Arabia, the unknown and conservative kingdom. The coastal town of Dammam lies in the east of the country, whose affluence is based on the city’s gigantic oil fields. Further inland lies Riyadh – the Saudi capital and the centre of power. The cities are surrounded by deserts and oases, such as Ha’il with its fascinating rock carvings. The film “Saudi Arabia – The East” portrays the kingdom’s ordinary people: camel traders, flea market visitors and female artists.

The sultanate of Oman is shrouded in legend and largely unknown. In recent years, the country has opened up to Western visitors, who enjoy the endless expanses of the desert, verdant high mountain regions, fertile oases and miles of coastline with turquoise waters. In the capital, we see that the sultanate is well on its way into the modern age: Muscat is spotlessly clean, surprisingly un-traditional nor typically Arabic. While the city focuses on luxury and extravagance, sporting the region’s first opera house, the villages remain steeped in the atmosphere of oriental fairy tales.

The United Arab Emirates are home to people from more than 200 different nations, and have turned the seven sheikhdoms into a thriving business centre. Margit Müller, a German vet, provides a special service at the hospital for falcons in Abu Dhabi, while the British biologist Warren Baverstock looks after marine wildlife in the luxury hotel Burj Al Arab in Dubai. With oil reserves coming to an end, more and more Emiratis are focusing on their own skills. Fatima Mulla, for example, runs the successful fashion label FFM. ‘The United Arab Emirates’ reveals the diversity found in Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Co.

"Crystal-clear water, spectacular salt deserts, ancient burial mounds: Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain are the smallest countries on the Arabian Peninsula, yet the people living here are no less self-assured. Marble-adorned Qatar is even considered the richest country in the world. Its youngest citizens are already taught the Arab sword dance. Bahrain is said to be the most liberal country on the Arabian Peninsulas – with freedom of religion, bars and nightlife. In cosmopolitan Kuwait, people enjoy good food, expensive cars and fast camels."