OMAR (FAROUK OMAR)
HISTORICAL EPIC SERIES • MBC 1
DIRECTOR
DOP
SCALE
CLIENT
YEAR
Hatem Ali
Mohamed Maghraoui
$53M Budget
MBC Group / Qatar TV
2012
OVERVIEW
This groundbreaking series is considered the most expensive production in the history of Arab television. Filmed extensively in Morocco, it required building full-scale replicas of ancient Mecca and Medina and staging massive battle sequences with thousands of extras to depict the life of Caliph Omar.
CHALLENGES & APPROACH
Managing a “Mega-Series” Economy.
The challenge was unprecedented: managing a blockbuster movie budget ($53M) spread across 30 TV episodes. We had to sustain a “war economy” for months, processing daily payments for huge armies of extras, horses, and historical construction, all while navigating the complex funding structure between MBC and Qatar TV. My role was to ensure that the massive daily burn rate never halted the relentless shooting schedule.
THE RESULT
The series became a global phenomenon, watched by hundreds of millions. It set a new standard for Arab production values, proving we could manage financial complexity on a scale previously reserved for Hollywood
