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 "title": "Love Is Blind, Habibi",
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 "excerpt": "Love Is Blind, Habibi (الحب أعمى، حبيبي) is Netflix's Arabic adaptation of Love Is Blind: Arab singles get engaged sight unseen in pods, then decide on marriage; season 1 premiered October 10, 2024.",
 "snippet": "Love Is Blind, Habibi (الحب أعمى، حبيبي) is Netflix's Arabic adaptation of Love Is Blind: Arab singles get engaged sight unseen in pods, then decide on marriage; season 1 premiered October 10, 2024.",
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 "markdown": "# Love Is Blind, Habibi\n\n**Love Is Blind, Habibi** (الحب أعمى، حبيبي) is an Arabic-language reality dating series on Netflix, adapted from the American franchise *Love Is Blind*, in which single Arab men and women get engaged to a partner they have only ever heard through a wall, then decide whether to marry after finally meeting face to face.<sup>[1](https://time.com/6590412/love-is-blind-habibi-netflix-dating-series-uae/)</sup> The first season premiered on October 10, 2024, hosted by the married Saudi celebrity couple Khaled Saqer and Elham Ali.<sup>[1](https://time.com/6590412/love-is-blind-habibi-netflix-dating-series-uae/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://elcinema.com/work/2084518/)</sup> A second season, hosted by the celebrity couple Rym Saidi and Wissam Braidy, launches globally on November 12.<sup>[3](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/love-is-blind-habibi-is-back-on-netflix-season-2-arrives-on-november-12)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Format | Singles date in \"pods\" where they hear but cannot see each other; couples who connect over 10 days get engaged sight unseen, then meet on a resort holiday before deciding on a wedding<sup>[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31408266/)</sup> |\n| Season 1 | 10 episodes on Netflix, October 10 to November 1, 2024, ending with the reunion special \"The Reunion\"<sup>[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/79829/love-is-blind-habibi)</sup> |\n| Hosts, season 1 | Saudi actors Khaled Saqer and Elham Ali, married in 2019<sup>[1](https://time.com/6590412/love-is-blind-habibi-netflix-dating-series-uae/)</sup> |\n| Filming | Primarily in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, with resort scenes at the EddeSands Hotel & Wellness Resort in Byblos, north of Beirut<sup>[6](https://apnews.com/article/fecb8349912fa1e47d412890644747de)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film-tv/2026/10/20/love-is-blind-habibi-season-two-release-date-cast-and-all-we-know-so-far/)</sup> |\n| Season 2 | Launches globally on November 12; 13 men and 14 women from across the Arab world in a 10-episode season<sup>[3](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/love-is-blind-habibi-is-back-on-netflix-season-2-arrives-on-november-12)</sup> |\n| Season 1 outcome | At the reunion special, more than a year after filming, only one couple, Safa and Mohammed, had married<sup>[7](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film-tv/2026/10/20/love-is-blind-habibi-season-two-release-date-cast-and-all-we-know-so-far/)</sup> |\n| Recognition | Nominated for an International Emmy<sup>[3](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/love-is-blind-habibi-is-back-on-netflix-season-2-arrives-on-november-12)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Season 1 (2024)\n\nSeason 1 aired on Netflix from October 10, 2024, with episodes released through the season finale \"Tying the Knot... Or Not?\" on October 10 and a reunion special, \"The Reunion,\" on November 1, 2024.<sup>[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/79829/love-is-blind-habibi)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://azadstore.store/ar/series/love-is-blind-habibi-2024)</sup> The cast drew participants from across the [Arab world](https://www.edgepedia.org/arab-world), including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, and Iraq.<sup>[7](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film-tv/2026/10/20/love-is-blind-habibi-season-two-release-date-cast-and-all-we-know-so-far/)</sup>\n\nThe season's outcomes were mostly separations. At the reunion special, held more than a year after filming ended, only Safa and Mohammed had gone the distance to marriage. Asma and Khatab never wed and subsequently broke up; Hajar and Simo called things off ahead of their wedding; when the reunion aired, Dounia and Chafic were back together, though they later confirmed a 2025 separation; and both Karma with Ammar and Nour with Mido likewise ended their engagements.<sup>[7](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film-tv/2026/10/20/love-is-blind-habibi-season-two-release-date-cast-and-all-we-know-so-far/)</sup>\n\n### Season 2 (2026)\n\nNetflix announced a second season in October 2026, launching globally on November 12.<sup>[3](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/love-is-blind-habibi-is-back-on-netflix-season-2-arrives-on-november-12)</sup> The season brings together 13 men and 14 women from countries including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, and Tunisia, across 10 episodes.<sup>[3](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/love-is-blind-habibi-is-back-on-netflix-season-2-arrives-on-november-12)</sup> Moroccan media reported four Moroccan participants in the new season: Karima, Souki, Youssef, and Moustaine.<sup>[13](https://ar.le360.ma/medias/VRELCCOY7JE4LD6P7Q7WB4J37I/)</sup> Hosting duties move to the celebrity couple Rym Saidi and Wissam Braidy.<sup>[3](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/love-is-blind-habibi-is-back-on-netflix-season-2-arrives-on-november-12)</sup>\n\nNetflix has not confirmed whether structural changes have been made to the format for the second season, and had not released a standalone trailer ahead of the announcement, though the new season appears in the streamer's teaser for its 2026 Arabic content.<sup>[7](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film-tv/2026/10/20/love-is-blind-habibi-season-two-release-date-cast-and-all-we-know-so-far/)</sup>\n\n## Format\n\nThe show follows the *Love Is Blind* structure: unmarried men and women search for a life partner without ever seeing them, and commit to marrying that partner.<sup>[2](https://elcinema.com/work/2084518/)</sup> First, contestants hold blind dates in isolated \"pods,\" speaking through a wall; a couple that builds a connection across 10 days of dates can agree to get engaged without meeting.<sup>[1](https://time.com/6590412/love-is-blind-habibi-netflix-dating-series-uae/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31408266/)</sup> The engaged couples then travel to a resort where they see each other for the first time and get to know one another in person, before a final decision at a scheduled wedding.<sup>[1](https://time.com/6590412/love-is-blind-habibi-netflix-dating-series-uae/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://bbclatestnews.pages.dev/arabic/articles/cz9xynkkpdwo)</sup> In the Arabic version, the man presents the woman with an engagement ring as the first step after they meet, and the resort stage follows; six couples reached that second stage in the first season.<sup>[8](https://bbclatestnews.pages.dev/arabic/articles/cz9xynkkpdwo)</sup>\n\nA participant from the first season, Safa Al Juboori, described the show as honoring Arab cultural values including modesty, separate living arrangements, no physical intimacy, and family approval, calling it \"a modern twist on a deeply traditional concept.\"<sup>[6](https://apnews.com/article/fecb8349912fa1e47d412890644747de)</sup>\n\n## Cultural adaptation and reception\n\nThe adaptation was announced with the expectation that it would portray conservative Arab cultures, where marriage is a family affair.<sup>[6](https://apnews.com/article/fecb8349912fa1e47d412890644747de)</sup> The word \"habibi,\" an Arabic endearment, was added to the title to give the show an Arabic character, and some details were modified to bring it closer to the culture and traditions of Arab societies.<sup>[8](https://bbclatestnews.pages.dev/arabic/articles/cz9xynkkpdwo)</sup> Netflix emphasized gender separation and prevented unnecessary mixing between men and women in a deliberate effort to distinguish the show from foreign versions and present it as authentically Arab.<sup>[10](https://www.jeem.me/culture/1349)</sup>\n\nCoverage was mixed. A Jeem essay argued that Netflix reduced the Arab viewer to an image of a conservative, non-political audience, and noted that the popularity of *Love Is Blind, Habibi* and older Arab reality programs such as *Star Academy* (2003) shows that conservative compliance is not the Arab viewer's primary concern.<sup>[10](https://www.jeem.me/culture/1349)</sup> A BBC Arabic piece observed that, unlike earlier Arab dating programs many considered \"not suited to our Arab culture,\" the show drew wide followings while differing in two key respects: participants decide on marriage with partners they have never seen, and they must make that decision in under a month.<sup>[8](https://bbclatestnews.pages.dev/arabic/articles/cz9xynkkpdwo)</sup> An academic study of the show noted that localized adaptations like *[Love Is Blind](https://www.edgepedia.org/love-is-blind-franchise): Habibi* incorporate Arab cultural values and gender norms to produce a media product that feels modern while staying true to local identity.<sup>[11](https://www.emiratesscholar.com/system/publish/050126090123222.pdf)</sup>\n\nAggregated ratings sit near the middle of the scale: IMDb lists 5.4 out of 10 from about 840 user ratings, and elCinema lists 4.3.<sup>[12](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31408266/ratings/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://elcinema.com/work/2084518/)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [What to Know About Netflix's 'Love is Blind, Habibi', Time](https://time.com/6590412/love-is-blind-habibi-netflix-dating-series-uae/)\n2. [الحب أعمى، حبيبي (2024), elCinema](https://elcinema.com/work/2084518/)\n3. ['Love is Blind Habibi' Is Back on Netflix: Season 2 Arrives on November 12, About Netflix](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/love-is-blind-habibi-is-back-on-netflix-season-2-arrives-on-november-12)\n4. [Love Is Blind: Habibi, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31408266/)\n5. [Love Is Blind, Habibi, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/79829/love-is-blind-habibi)\n6. [How 'Love is Blind' is reshaping global views on love, from Japan to Brazil, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/fecb8349912fa1e47d412890644747de)\n7. [Love is Blind Habibi season two: Release date, cast and all we know so far, The National](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film-tv/2026/10/20/love-is-blind-habibi-season-two-release-date-cast-and-all-we-know-so-far/)\n8. [الحب أعمى حبيبي: ماذا يقول علم النفس؟, BBC News عربي](https://bbclatestnews.pages.dev/arabic/articles/cz9xynkkpdwo)\n9. [مسلسل الحب أعمى حبيبي (2024), سهرة](https://azadstore.store/ar/series/love-is-blind-habibi-2024)\n10. [\"الحب أعمى، حبيبي\": تلفزيون تطهير الواقع من السياسة, جيم](https://www.jeem.me/culture/1349)\n11. [Study of localized dating show adaptations, Emirates Scholar](https://www.emiratesscholar.com/system/publish/050126090123222.pdf)\n12. [Love Is Blind: Habibi (2024) ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31408266/ratings/)\n13. [أربعة مغاربة في الموسم الثاني من «الحب أعمى، حبيبي» على نتفليكس, Le360](https://ar.le360.ma/medias/VRELCCOY7JE4LD6P7Q7WB4J37I/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Reality and competition franchise editions › Love Island and dating-show franchises*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "speakable": "Love Is Blind, Habibi is Netflix's Arabic adaptation of Love Is Blind: Arab singles get engaged sight unseen in pods, then decide on marriage; season 1 premiered October 10, 2024."
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