A Saudi Arabian version of The Office is set to air later this year.
BBC Studios recently struck a deal with local producer and broadcaster MBC, who will air the new show via streamer Shahid VIP.
The new remake will be called Al Maktab and will be directed by Egyptian filmmaker Hisham Fathi, according to Deadline.
The self-absorbed boss played by Ricky Gervais in the UK version and Steve Carell in the US remake will be played by Saleh Abuamrh in Al Maktab, and is called Malik Al-Tuwaif.
So far, The Office has been remade in 10 territories including France, Germany, Canada and India. Al Maktab will be the first in the Arabic language.
André Renaud, BBC Studios’ SVP Format Sales, said in a statement: “Although office working may look slightly different for many of us in 2022, the familiarity of these well-observed characters as they navigate petty rivalries, moments of friendship and humour, and a boss that sometimes makes a fool of themselves still rings just as true.”
Meanwhile, several cast members of The Office revealed they were “almost killed twice” while filming episode ‘Work Bus’.
Actors Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, who play Pam Beesley and Angela Martin in the US sitcom, recalled the incident in their new book The Office BFFs: Tales Of The Office From Two Best Friends Who Were There.
The episode, directed by Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston, saw Dwight (Rainn Wilson) convert a bus into an office space after Jim (John Krasinski) convinces him the office building is unsafe.
In an excerpt from the book on Mashable, Kinsey wrote: “We want you to know that we see the irony that Bryan Cranston, aka Walter White Sr. or ‘Heisenberg’ as he was known in crystal methamphetamine circles, was an accessory to almost murdering the entire cast of The Office. I assure you this is pure coincidence.”
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