The General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia and the MBC Group will collaborate to create the new program. The authority's head, Turki Al-Sheikh, tweeted the news of the collaboration on Saturday along with the identities of the four judges tasked with finding local singing talent in Riyadh. “Happy to announce a new partnership between the Entertainment Authority and the MBC Group to launch Saudi Idol,” Al-Sheikh tweeted.
Saudi singer Aseel Abubakr, Emirati singer and actress Ahlam, Iraqi-Saudi singer and composer Majid Almohandis, and Syrian singer Assala, make up the judging panel.
Ahlam formerly served as a judge on the four seasons of Arab Idol, which ran from 2011 to 2017, as well as on seasons four and five of The Voice Arabia, which ran from 2012 to 2019. The Emirati artist tweeted in response to the news, “I am a graduate of Idol School and The Voice. Welcome to my guests, Assala, Majid and Aseel to the land of Saudi Arabia.” Also in response to Al-Sheikh's announcement, the Syrian singer Assala, who will be making her reality music talent show debut, stated that having a good voice is the most essential part.
Saudi Idol will begin filming in October, according to the entertainment news program Trending on MBC. MBC is still urging singers to take part, nevertheless. The organization's official Twitter account asked participants to sign up if they have a great voice, like a little competition, love the spotlight and to not miss the chance to be a part of the biggest singing competition.
British television producer Simon Fuller was the original creator of the reality television singing competition Idol, which has several international offshoots, including Arab Idol. The pan-Arab program was an adaptation of the SuperStar Idol series, which ran on Future TV in Lebanon for five seasons between 2003 and 2018.
This will be the first time the franchise will be exclusively centered on Saudi Arabia, despite the fact that Arab Idol produced well-known performers like the Palestinian Mohammed Assaf and invited hopeful singers from all across the Arab world to audition.
