Produced by Turkish prodco Medyapim, it will be known locally as 'Oumi' and will also stream on MBC’s global VoD platform Shahid.
Nippon TV, Japan’s multiplatform entertainment company, has announced that Turkish production company Medyapim has completed the Arabic-language version of its acclaimed drama series Mother. Titled أُمي (Oumi, meaning “Mother” in Arabic), the new adaptation is set to premiere on May 4, 2025, on MBC Group, the major broadcaster in the Middle East and North Africa, and will be available globally on the Arabic streaming platform Shahid.
The announcement was jointly made by Keisuke Miyata, who oversees Scripted Format Licensing at Nippon TV, and Fatih Aksoy, Chairman of Medyapim. Originally airing in Japan in 2010, Mother garnered critical acclaim and went on to become Asia’s most exported scripted format. It has been remade in 11 countries, including South Korea, Spain, France, Thailand and most notably Turkey, where Medyapim produced Anne, a version that achieved widespread international success and was broadcast in nearly 50 regions.
The new Arabic series Oumi marks a significant collaboration between Medyapim and MBC Group, bringing together Turkish storytelling expertise and Saudi cultural authenticity.
Medyapim has previously produced two drama series for MBC, including the Arabic adaptation of BBC Studios’ Doctor Foster and the Arabic version of its original Turkish drama War of the Roses.
Keisuke Miyata, Scripted Format Licensing at Nippon TV, said: “We are very excited about this new adaptation and can’t wait for the broadcast start on MBC. Anne, produced by Medyapim, was a huge global success, and we have no doubt that the Arabic adaptation will achieve the same success.”
Fatih Aksoy, Chairman of Medyapim, added: “A story that originated from Japan, developed by Turkish filmmakers, comes and finds a new home in Saudi Arabia. The Arabic version of Nippon TV’s Mother is a TV series co-produced by Turkey’s MedYapim and Saudi Arabia’s MBC Studios. At the core of the story, the topic of motherhood is being examined. There are five main mothers, who go through different aspects of motherhood. Being a mother without giving birth to a child, whereas not being able to be a mother while giving birth to that same child… A collaboration between the culture and traditions of Saudi Arabia, and the Turkish crew’s knowledge and experience, Mother has transitioned from cultures and found its Arabian story in Oumi.”
Tarek Ibrahim, General Manager of Content at MBC1 and Shahid MBC, stated: “The Turkish version of the original series, titled Anne, was produced by Medyapim and MF Yapim, a subsidiary of Medyapim, the leading production companies in Turkey. The series achieved great success, which led to its screening in nearly 50 regions around the world in multiple adapted local versions.
“MBC, however, added its own unique cultural touch to the series, which was all filmed and produced in Saudi Arabia, hence it becomes culturally and authentically compatible with the taste of our Arab audience in the region, which is something we strive to maintain in all Arabic adaptations of the scripted shows we produce.
“Today, the series Oumi comes to add a new flavour to Arab drama in general, leveraging the wide experience and brilliance of Saudi actors and actresses, therefore, we believe that it will extensively resonate among Arab audiences everywhere.”
