Image Nation Abu Dhabi, one of the leading media and entertainment companies in the Middle East, has begun production in Saudi Arabia on No Kitchen Required- a brand new TV series that follows five regional chefs as they learn to cook traditional food in the wilderness. The production will shoot across the Kingdom, including Abha, Al-Ghamma and Haiel, and features two Saudi national chefs – KhaledArefand Bader Fayez.

For the production of No Kitchen Required,Image Nation has collaborated with Emmy award-winning producer Marc Lorber. Lorber has previously worked on several programs with Image Nation – including Beyond Bordersand an upcoming Quest Arabiya’s series on fishing – and will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to Saudi Arabia during filming. Together with Lorber, 50 regional members of professional crew will be working on location in Saudi Arabia this month and will be returning regularly to the Kingdom to shoot other upcoming programs.

The series, which is an international BBC format to be adapted for local audiences, has already been praised for its world-class production and will run on Quest Arabiya – the region’s leading Arabic-language factual entertainment channel.

Khalid Khouri, General Manager at Quest Arabiya, said: “Quest Arabiya reaches millions of households in the Arab world and has a well-deserved reputation for offering the dynamic, adrenaline-fueled entertainment that regional audiences love. No Kitchen Requiredis the latest addition to our programming and reflects Quest Arabiya’s commitment to meeting the continued demand for world-class Arabic-language content that airs year-round.”

Image Nation’s move into production in Saudi Arabia follows the recent focus on the country’s media industry following the historic opening of cinemas across the country. Under the Vision 2030 programme, the nation will be investing $64 billion into the entertainment sector over the next 10 years. With half the population under the age of 25, it reveals an opportunity for hands-on training and development in the region for the next generation of content creators – with Image Nation helping to lead the way.

Michael Garin, CEO of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, said: “Arabic-language projects that feature regional voices, perspectives and talentareat the heart of what we do at Image Nation. The growth of the entertainment industry in Saudi Arabia is exceptionally exciting and will be transformational for the region. No Kitchen Required is our latest project in Saudi Arabia, as Image Nation expands further into this strategically significant new market.”

Image Nation has already developed a series of flagship partnerships with O3 Productions, the production arm of MBC Group, the largest private media company in the Middle East & North Africa region. This year, it is beginning production on a feature film and spin-off of the TV series based on the bestselling Saudi sci-fi romance novel HWJN. Cast and shot in Saudi Arabia, the project will reflect the pop culture phenomenon of the novel and will open up a new and exciting franchise for the region.

Following this Image Nation and O3 Productions will co-produce four feature films including the comedy Love Above the Law, written by Saudi YouTube star, comedian and actor Fahad Albutairi (From A To B).