Wheeler-dealers of the BBC’s ‘Dubai Hustle’ help put the real into the emirate’s real estate
Fans of Netflix’s Selling Sunset will know that the world of real estate can be as exciting as it is dramatic. And in Dubai, where you can find some of the world’s most luxurious villas and apartments, it’s no different.
Some of the city’s top property brokers star in the new BBC documentary series, which follows their move to Dubai and their bid to reach the top of their game in the cut-throat industry.
Two-part series Dubai Hustle was broadcast on BBC Three in the UK yesterday. It follows “a group of 20-something real estate brokers from across the UK as they try to earn the big bucks in this playground for the super-rich,” the BBC says.
“With exclusive access to one of the busiest high-end, Britowned property agencies in the city [haus & haus], this sunsoaked series will follow the young agents’ fortunes as they navigate their way through this cut-throat and highly competitive world.
“The stakes are high for these plucky Brits: if they don’t land the deal, then a broker from a rival company will. But if they work hard, hustle hard, and have a bit of luck on their side, there’s big money to be made and a lifestyle they could only dream of.”
The series has been produced by Multistory Media, which worked with haus & haus on Dubai Hustle since March last year. James Perry, managing director of haus & haus, said: “This is aspirational television for young people. We hope it inspires others to widen their ideas about what they are capable of; there are so many great opportunities out there.”
Another BBC documentary, Inside Dubai: Playground of the Rich, a show that followed some of the city’s wealthiest residents, was branded as “out of date” by viewers when it aired on BBC Two in January.
While the whole point of the show is to showcase the lavish lifestyles some of the city’s residents lead, it sparked controversy with audiences, with many taking to social media to share their thoughts during the show.
“I’m going in for a second overly rich helping of #insidedubai and will probably need something to ease the queasiness by the end of it,” said Twitter user Erica James. Others branded the show, which regularly refers to clips from documentaries filmed in the 1990s and 2000s, as “out of date”.
“All a little bit out of date,” another Twitter user wrote. “Dubai has moved on a bit @ bbc #insidedubai.”
Series follows brokers from the UK as they try to break into Dubai’s booming property scene