Hydra to co-produce reality TV show

Abu Dhabi: Hydra Properties, a prominent real estate developer, said yesterday it will co-produce a reality television show with Showtime, a major pay TV platform based in Dubai.

The show will bring together the worlds of TV entertainment and real estate.

"The innovation is to select contestants from the western world - mostly from the UK and US - to select the best real estate project to be developed in the GCC with the support of Hydra," said Marc-Antoine d'Halluin, president and chief executive officer of Showtime.

He said 16 episodes of the reality show would be aired and all will be shot in Abu Dhabi.

"The winner of the show will be selected by Hydra and will be given the financial resources to fund their project in the GCC," said Sulaiman Al Fahim, Hydra Properties chief executive officer, told a news conference in Abu Dhabi.

"The show will be aired from March 2008. Casting will take place in December in London and Los Angeles.

"The winner will get at the end of the project $1 million," Al Fahim said.

He said Hydra is currently preparing its "Vision-2030" in line with the vision of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Sup-reme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to grow internationally.

"Once our business plan is ready, we will see exactly what kind of capital we require and what's the best market to list in," he said.