The women will take on style-related challenges every week through 20-minute episodes, in keeping with a reality-television-show format.
Dubai-based production house Aya Media is set to launch its Arabic YouTube series Aya! with an all-female cast on January 24 for Generation Z viewers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East.
Aya!, which translates to “wonderful” from Arabic, will trace the fashionable adventures and exploits of four women through 20-minute episodes on a weekly basis.
Yara Algain, 26, Reem Al Hammadi, 22, Haya Al Yassin, 18, and Assia Mezyaine, 25, were hand-picked for the show after a series of casting calls and auditions in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Of the four hosts, Algain is a Saudi Arabian beauty professional with a background in media and advertising; Al Hammadi is Emirati and has a love for adventure; Al Yassin is a Syrian journalism student at the American University of Sharjah; and Mezyaine is from Morocco, with a background in IT and property.
Commenting on the series, Al Yassin was quoted as saying: “You can expect a lot of competitiveness, but also lots of love and friendship. We’re friends in real life and I hope people can see elements of that through the show.”
While Aya! is largely fashion-focused for now, the show’s producer Reim Al Houni hints that it will deal with other themes, from beauty to cyberbullying, in the future.
Al Houni said: “Our audience’s trust is our utmost priority. Aya! will work with trending fashion, lifestyle, and sports brands to bring our viewers authentic, transparent content. It is culturally an exciting time in the GCC, and Aya! is thrilled to be launching now. We hope to be the go-to YouTube channel for budding fashionistas, tastemakers, and trendsetters in the region.”
