Videos have been made from the first day of Ramadan on each partner’s Facebook pages, and are discoverable under the handle #RamadanTogether.
Facebook has launched an online video campaign on Facebook Watch called #RamadanTogether which will feature news and entertainment shows during Ramadan. The social media platform has also unveiled a slate of global partnerships with broadcasters, publishers and public figures to spotlight communities around the world celebrating Ramadan during the lockdown.
Collaborations include long-form entertainment strands with VOD brands such as Shoof Drama; and creator programming with global influencers such as Khalid Al Ameri. The Facebook #RamadanTogether video initiative will feature community and creator voices coming together with a focus on the principles of Ramadan and its impact on people observing social distancing.
Partnerships will also support existing linear Ramadan broadcast schedules, with anticipated series premieres hosting full series runs on Facebook, as well as adding exclusive highlights, pre-shows and after shows as additional content.
Among the entertainment partners, 7awi will be launching seven original shows on Facebook Watch across their lifestyle pages. The shows, entitled Caffeine, The Weekly Brew, The Year in Review 2020, Makeover in 5, Budget Travel, Dars Arabi and Jusoor Cultural, will span lifestyle, cooking and beauty themes, and range from 3-20 minutes per episode.
Four new Shoof Drama series will be aired on Facebook shortly following their on-demand premieres on Shoof, as part of their scheduled Ramadan programming. The series Waklinha Walaa 2, Wlad Imbaba, Hawajis Abira and Mayyada W Wlada, will air daily with 45-minute episodes, and span comedy, family dramas and sitcoms.
The Charisma Group will bring exclusive entertainment news, behind-the-scenes interviews and after shows on Facebook Watch as part of Entertainment Tonight Bil Arabi televised Ramadan content, alongside clips and highlights from original broadcasts. Exclusive pre-show and after-show content will air on Facebook as part of Roya TV’s Ramadan programming schedule.
Facebook also partnered with public figures including Dubai-based Khalid Al Ameri who will be exclusively hosting four videos (once per week) over the Ramadan period and will show him travelling to different parts of the world to spotlight communities with inspiring stories to tell. The episodes are entitled The Balikbayan Box, A Muslim and A Church, An Arab in Kerela and When Arab Travels. In addition, he will also air a weekly show of good news called News like This.
Saudi Arabia’s Ahmed Al-Shugairy will be hosting regular videos on Facebook Watch to celebrate Ramadan with his community, including a film about the era of artificial intelligence, in which he presents the latest developments and futuristic projects around the world. He will also host a daily Ramadan show called Hope Makers (30 episodes), with each episode honouring one person/ institution that pursues a humanitarian goal.
Facebook and Instagram content creators Mohamed Abdulle and Basma Khalifa will be sharing how they will be celebrating Ramadan this year. The duo has made a short video entitled Ramadan Stories which sees them joined by influential creators such as lifestyle influencer Dina Tokio, model Mariah Idrissi and BBC Radio presenter Mim Shaikh.
Commenting on the announcement, Louise Holmes, Director of Media Partnerships, EMEA, Facebook, said: “With the world going through such a difficult time, and family and friends unable to come together in person, now more than ever, it is important that we create opportunities for connection on our platforms. In recognition of these new realities, we have collaborated with partners around the world in order to shine a light on communities who are using their voices virtually this year, to represent the diverse ways of how Ramadan is experienced.”
