Love is Blind, Habibi is the dating show everyone’s talking about right now. And for good reason—it’s the very first format of its kind in the Arab world. A point of pride? Sure, if it weren’t for the problematic male contestants. Here’s what the editorial team has to say.
Hosted by the famous star couple Khaled Saqer and Elham Ali, Love is Blind, Habibi is Netflix’s latest sensation that everyone’s talking about—and we binge-watched in 48 hours. What is it? Simply put, it’s the Arab franchise of the dating show Love is Blind, which debuted in the U.S. in 2020 and has since been adapted in various countries (Sweden, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and more).
The concept? For ten days, about thirty single people in search of true love go through a series of speed dates in pods, where they can talk without seeing each other. If there’s a good vibe and two personalities “match,” they can decide to get engaged—before meeting face-to-face for the first time.
You can already sense the entertaining, dramatic potential of this program. And honestly, this “behind the screen” style of dating show truly deserved an Arab version. Filmed in Dubai, Love is Blind, Habibi brings together singles from across the Arab world: Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
This setup is reminiscent of the French reality show Nice People, aired on TF1 in the early 2000s, which gathered contestants from all over Europe. Ah, love that nostalgia…
A Fun and refreshing angle
The main strength of Love is Blind, Habibi is this melting pot of people with a common background (language, religion) yet significant cultural differences (traditions, customs, mindset, history).
The show’s other strength lies in its open and decidedly modern angle. Sure, Love is Blind, Habibi is “halal,” so it’s much tamer than the Western versions (no sex, no alcohol), but it offers a less stereotypical view of the Arab world. The women are all independent working women. Most of them are in their thirties or older, single and confident.
They’re also quite feminist and know exactly what they want—autonomy for some, or a “provider” husband for others. The phrase “I don’t do coffee dates, walking dates, or last-minute dates” from contestant Nour El Haj (the most “princess” of them all) has already become iconic on social media.
Then there’s Hajar’s blunder, where she told her suitor she’d have one last fling before marriage—using a rather questionable culinary metaphor.
@moroccan.heritage1 Love is blind habibi pour Simo, Hajar ne correspond pas aux valeurs marocaines 🇲🇦 #loveisblindhabibi #loveisblind #morocco
And we can’t deny it: “Arabs” have an unparalleled, somewhat old-fashioned sense of romance. Here, men are ultra-protective and ready to commit (seriously). They read you poetry and call you sweet names (light of my heart, dream of my nights—you get the idea). At a time when love seems to be considered a plague or worse, it’s heartwarming (yes, your writeris old-fashioned). Of course, being good “rajel,” the male contestants of Love is Blind, Habibi are also quite macho (and childish).
A parade of red flags
And this is where Shoelifer wants to dig in. Of all the female contestants on Love is Blind, Habibi, only two might come across as slightly superficial or immature—or simply not in love with their match. That’s just our opinion (to be fair to the guys). But on the men’s side, it’s a full house! Not one of them lacks problematic behavior or remarks. In other words, they’re (almost) all walking red flags — except for Khatab, the Iraqi DJ, who seems like a genuinely nice, authentic, kind-hearted young man with no hidden agendas.
But the others…? The gold medal of red flag has to be our dear Syrian dentist, Ammar. Yes, he’s handsome (very), successful, serious, and in love, but he’s an ultra-conservative macho. He outright forbade Karma (his match) from dancing, despite it being her lifelong passion. To our surprise (and delight), during a touching sequence Karma chose dancing over marriage. For a moment, we thought Ammar, behind his smile, might flip the table.
@gossipnetflixfr Karma porte l’emission entiere sur ses épaules cette reine 😭🙂↕️ #Netflix #LoveIsBlindHabibi #Fyp #PourToi
Ammar ties for first place with Simo, our fellow Casablancan. A mix between the Joker and Lucifer, he’s a tortured, cynical soul, possibly damaged or maybe just plain difficult. He’s the one who steals the show of Love is Blind, Habibi—someone you might want to be like but definitely not marry. Macho, jealous, snobbish, disrespectful, authoritarian, volatile, arrogant, violent, scheming, devious… you name it, he’s got it.
@d_daily_life Notre red flag national 🇲🇦 #loveisblind #loveisblindnetflix #loveisblindhabibi #netflixseries #simo #simoloveisblind #morocco #loveisblinddubai @NetflixFR @ahlan Dubai
Honestly, we suspect he’s aiming for a career in the spotlight. Since the show’s buzz, he’s been all over Instagram with lives, stories, and posts.
The silver medal goes to Chafic, the charming Lebanese man with West African roots. We see right through him: he’s a party boy and a flirt (it’s obvious). Plus, he’s childish and lazy. He’d even hit on Nour (the “bimbo”) before joining the show. Yet he set his sights on Dounia, a fresh-faced sweetheart, and doesn’t hesitate to try to control her (her clothes, her close bond with her mom).
@kingdomofmoroccco
At least he has a sense of humor, which he plays up on Instagram.
And bronze goes to Mohammed Kiswani, aka The Kiswani (the author’s personal favorite). In Love is Blind, Habibi, he’s genuinely a good guy: funny, charming, manly, sensitive, and madly in love with this season’s star, the incredible Safa. Spoiler alert: they’re the only couple to see it through to marriage. And rumor has it they’re still together.
@coming_uproses What a beautiful culture. I was so excited watching the wedding preparations and weddings . So happy for Safa and Mohamed they were really genuine from scratch🤗#loveisblind #habibi #netflix #arab#wedding#mohamed#safa
But there’s a hitch. The couple wasn’t even married yet when Mohammed started pressuring Safa to change jobs and have kids. He didn’t want her traveling for work. But Safa loves her job. And on social media, the Love is Blind, Habibi contestant makes off-color jokes about his wife. Some find it funny; others see it as a form of harassment.
To get answers to our questions, we’ll have to wait until November 1st. That’s when Love is Blind, Habibi returns to Netflix for the grand finale! And if the trailer is any indication, things are going to heat up!
