I really love this show. I binged watched it couldn't stop watching. I was hesitating to watch because I read on this forum ppl say it's a soap. Well it far from a soapie show. Give it a try it's really good. Can't wait for season 2...When is it available on Netflix?
31 Reviews
Could have been much better!
minoom-6972924 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I was so glad to find yet another binge-worthy international TV series on Netflix especially this time from the Middle East and it did not disappoint in the beginning with the story of a family controlling arms trafficking on the border of Lebanon/Syria and also shedding some light on the Syrian conflict, terrorism and other issues in that region. I was also very impressed with acting especially of some of the main characters throughout the season but it unfortunately turned soap operaish after half way through the season. But that's not the only reason I did not give it a higher rating. Other reasons:
1) Most actors/actresses and places looked perfect and unreal especially the women. It was hard for me to take the part of Alia (Nadine Nassib Njeim) for example, sometimes seriously, because the actress playing the part looked like a a perfect mannequin and not someone you can relate to. Have seen this too many times in Middle Eastern, Turkish, etc. TV shows. For god sake, that's just wrong on and degrades the whole show. 2) Shows in these countries have usually strict censorship laws but I really hoped if possible the story shed more light on problems in that region and the connection to different types of illegal activities and arms smuggling instead of just a hint here a hint there. 3) The role of Alia suddenly became of a submissive type woman the minute she fell in love with Jabal and accepted many things that she despised and protested so vehemently before and Jabal and his matriarch mother ruled everything to the end and knew best throughout, of course! 4) The family was mostly shown on a moral ground that took away from the reality of arms smugglers, the violence and the money laundering that goes with that kind of business. That was unfortunately another point when the show disappointed me.
Overall, I am still happy that through Netflix we get a chance to watch this show and know of the great talent that is out there but to the directors of these shows, PLEASE make it more real - the stories and the actors who make it happen.
1) Most actors/actresses and places looked perfect and unreal especially the women. It was hard for me to take the part of Alia (Nadine Nassib Njeim) for example, sometimes seriously, because the actress playing the part looked like a a perfect mannequin and not someone you can relate to. Have seen this too many times in Middle Eastern, Turkish, etc. TV shows. For god sake, that's just wrong on and degrades the whole show. 2) Shows in these countries have usually strict censorship laws but I really hoped if possible the story shed more light on problems in that region and the connection to different types of illegal activities and arms smuggling instead of just a hint here a hint there. 3) The role of Alia suddenly became of a submissive type woman the minute she fell in love with Jabal and accepted many things that she despised and protested so vehemently before and Jabal and his matriarch mother ruled everything to the end and knew best throughout, of course! 4) The family was mostly shown on a moral ground that took away from the reality of arms smugglers, the violence and the money laundering that goes with that kind of business. That was unfortunately another point when the show disappointed me.
Overall, I am still happy that through Netflix we get a chance to watch this show and know of the great talent that is out there but to the directors of these shows, PLEASE make it more real - the stories and the actors who make it happen.
One of the best Syrian/lebanese series
imbasel227 August 2020
I really loved the series
arabica-5579810 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This is an excellent series I would recommend everyone to watch, Taim Hasan in the role of " Jabal" was very impressive & he is the best Arab actor ever . Jabal is the head of the tribe of Sheikh al-Jabal and controls the weapons trade in the region between Syria. The series discusses many important social problems in the Arab world. Tim Hassan and Mona Wasef are the main actors of the series.
As a Lebanese American
LebaneseBebe9 October 2018
As a Lebanese American I thoroughly liked Al Hayba. The subtitles were not bad. Often there is difference between subtitles and what is actually being said. One of the other users on here complained about the many Mercedes and beautiful homes. As a Lebanese American I can confirm that there are many Mercedes cars and trucks in Lebanon (it's cheaper to import cars from Germany than from the US). And the style of homes is of course going to differ in the Eastern Mediterranean than in the States, so that is not escapism (to the person that described it as escapism). Overall the plot line was good, and reflects some historical reality. I recommend this show for non-Arabs, while keeping in mind that Lebanon is a Mediterranean Middle Eastern country. Completely different landscape, economy, etc.
Great Tv Series on Netflix
tennielleeugene20 September 2018
The series is amazing and it is also available on Netflix with English subtitles for those who don't speak Arab. The storyline is very interesting and different from what persons like myself (from the western part of the world- North America) know as reality. Over all the series has a perfect balance of action and romance which make Al Hayba a most watch. I know that there is a season 2 but I hope they can do another that continues with the storyline from this season with regard to Jabal an Alia.
Aila & Jabal
gorkem-6958526 December 2018
I started watching Al Hayba by a coincidence while randomly searching the series on Netflix.
We are only hearing the conflict between Lebanon and Israele. In the series, there is a side effect of Syrian War on narco and a bullet traffic. As a Turkish watcher, I really like listening Lebanese Blonde by Thievery Corporation and the band of Beirut. So that makes me wonder about the mysterious Lebanon lifestyle. Btw, there are so many same words in Turkish. That sounds we had grabbed so many words from Arabic. Also Beirut looks very similiar to my city (Izmir) Hope we will see the second season on Netflix soon.
A look into Arab culture
aalleekk198913 March 2021
For a person who understands only western value, many things will not make sense. Family above individuals, supremacy of elderly in the family, putting ego before lives, women being attachments of men, and nonstop sectarian violence are just a few things that would immediately stand out. The central plot is basically the story of a western educated Lebanese woman being "tamed" and re-educated to accept traditional Arab values. The plot is severely limited by fulfillment of the expectations from its target audience. There are interesting moments early in the series, but overall the plot is flat and predictable. There are some decent acting, but production quality is overall mediocre. Unless you are interested in learning about Arab mentality and culture, you can really skip this one.
All I can say is "WOW"
sophiaangel-2460629 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I don't even know where to start. But all I can is that this show was amazing . I just finished watching the first season and I can't wait for the next upcoming season 2!! The only part that made me so sad 😭 was when Jabal almost lost his little brother! I cried but thank God Lol he didn't die even though he can never see again. This show is a must watch in telling you. Bravo to all the amazing actors and of course the producer as well.
Beautiful scenery. That is all.
gardeniasgl1 December 2018
So this is a show where a woman is subjugated, her son learns to disrespect her, her son is taken from her, and another woman is hit by her husband because she "provoked" him. This woman's family wants her to go back to him, although she is pregnant and vulnerable. Another side story has a couple trying to escape the area because the wife's family has not given permission for her to go with the man. If she goes back, you guessed it. She will be killed. This is horrible and I cannot understand how a situation like this exists anywhere in the world. Not one of the other reviewers seems to have a problem with it. Interestingly, I see nothing about this show on any of the mainstream USA entertainment sites. They are pretending it doesn't exist. On top of that, this is a soap opera with slow moving plot and wooden acting.
Very enjoyable show with some flaws
scottjaspen3 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Overall, this is a very enjoyable show with (mostly) excellent acting, a plot that keeps you involved and the desire to keep watching after each episode ends.
With that being said, some things about the plot just collapse at the end and I wasn't convinced by the turn of events at all...
***WARNING!!!! SEASON 1 ENDING SPOILERS***
First and foremost, does anyone really believe the complete 180 they pulled with Aliya near the end? She suddenly out of nowhere wants Jabal and will do anything he says? I could tell they were going to do this from very early on but I think it was really too idealistic the way they portrayed her sudden change and I didn't find it believable. I don't think her actress did either as she complained about the direction of the show and didn't return for future filming.
Also, Sakhar and Rima - really??? I get that he saved her from that bad situation but she suddenly loves him after hating him this whole time? It doesn't even make logical sense.
I understand it's a TV show and things like this happen but they could've really done a better job of convincing the audience. Anyway, since both of these events happen near the tail end of the show, I let it slide and just enjoyed the show for what it was. Excellent writing and I would watch again.
With that being said, some things about the plot just collapse at the end and I wasn't convinced by the turn of events at all...
***WARNING!!!! SEASON 1 ENDING SPOILERS***
First and foremost, does anyone really believe the complete 180 they pulled with Aliya near the end? She suddenly out of nowhere wants Jabal and will do anything he says? I could tell they were going to do this from very early on but I think it was really too idealistic the way they portrayed her sudden change and I didn't find it believable. I don't think her actress did either as she complained about the direction of the show and didn't return for future filming.
Also, Sakhar and Rima - really??? I get that he saved her from that bad situation but she suddenly loves him after hating him this whole time? It doesn't even make logical sense.
I understand it's a TV show and things like this happen but they could've really done a better job of convincing the audience. Anyway, since both of these events happen near the tail end of the show, I let it slide and just enjoyed the show for what it was. Excellent writing and I would watch again.
English Subtitles for Season 2
johns43526 October 2018
Bring back season 1 storyline!
leb_luva15 April 2020
Amazing
vilic-300144 August 2022
I'm not an Arab nor a Muslim but I found Al Hayba one of the best programme I have ever seen. I started watching it randomly and simply couldn't stop. I have seen all the seasons so far. The actors are amazing and it gives perfect insight of the Arab world. Although the story is fictional it says a lot of some unspoken reality. I highly recommend it to everyone, you certainly won't regret.
Garbage
Isee-stupid-people18 February 2019
As an American of Lebanese origins i was looking forward. Painfully horrible acting, extremely slow plot and dialogue, amateurish footage and cinematographer. Entire 1st episode should have been 5-7min if they actually edited the footage.
A very Soapy Opera
qui_j7 October 2018
I like to watch series from other countries as it is a way to gain global insight. I loved seeing the beauty of the country but the really cheesy acting is something that one has to endure, not to mention the constant grinding of teeth by the lead actor. That kind of quirky behavior really just detracts from the story. The story is pure fantasy, and in reality, I'm sure has singular and immense appeal to an audience from that part of the world as the characters are readily identifiable with people they would know in daily life. Everyone drives a Mercedes or equivalent and lives in beautiful homes that come straight out of an architectural magazine. Pure escapism, but it is a soap opera after all so that's to be expected. Overall, it's a way to get to see another culture from an indigenous, local perspective.
Love it so much
princesspink-6184314 December 2020
Deep and meaningful
moe68625 January 2019
Dynamite!
jesseb-4337217 August 2021
This show really kept me interested . The lead actress is gorgeous and as well an excellent actress . How the series unfolds is simply amazing. Big thumbs up for me. I cannot understand several low ratings . Was I watching the same show? It's not good but great!
I loved this👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾✨✨✨
ataamensah19 August 2022
This is the first time l watched a Lebanese/Arabic show and l really enjoyed it. The acting was not that great but the story line, the show casing of Arabic culture and thoughts made it very engaging. The theme song was also befitting.
I hoped to see it end with Alia and Joe/Jabal junior feature in a final season with the rest of of the Sheikh Al Jabal family.
Good show. Well done to all is involved🌟
I hoped to see it end with Alia and Joe/Jabal junior feature in a final season with the rest of of the Sheikh Al Jabal family.
Good show. Well done to all is involved🌟
Very bad. Don't waste your time on this.
mslamashour20 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I am a native Arabic speaker and I found this series absolutely terrible. A weak storyline, almost all of the actors are very poor. All the good reviews I read were just about the main actor and ignored how abysmal the rest of the series was, the cheap camera settings, the wooden acting, and the lack of interesting dialogue. It was really just all about Taim Hasan and not much else.
If you are a die hard fan of his then maybe you'll make it through the first series but it all goes even further downhill in S2 and 3.
If you are a die hard fan of his then maybe you'll make it through the first series but it all goes even further downhill in S2 and 3.
Love Love this series
wmjberg13 July 2022
The intro is too long
haniup11 June 2020
WOOOW!! Just wow!
mariacristinadenolan11 October 2020
This series is very impressive! Taim has Portrayed amazingly as Jabal.. very good actor and the other casts also played a good role.. credits goes all to the characters and ofcourse the directors and the crew. This is one for the books.. couldn't move on with this series hahaha who's with me??? feels like I wanna go to Lebanon and visit the places where they captured the scenes :)
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