Next 'Real Housewives' spinoff will be set Dubai, producers announce

The next version of the reality TV franchise "Real Housewives" will take place in Dubai, the executive producer of the show Andy Cohen announced on Monday.

The reality show follows the lives of glamourous women across the US and fans are excited about the first installment from the glitzy Gulf city.

"Get your passports, our 11th city! We are going to the billionaire's playground, the city of gold, the desert oasis - 'The Real Housewives of Dubai,'" Cohen revealed on the US-based "Today Show".

Pack your bags for Bravo's first original international Housewives franchise, The Real Housewives of Dubai! ✈️ 🌴 🇦🇪 Bravoholics, we're leaving the hashtag up to YOU! Tweet using #RHODubai or #RHODXB to cast your vote, we'll be announcing the winner on Friday! pic.twitter.com/BlHIJAyVZV

— Bravo (@BravoTV) November 1, 2021

While some fans of the show expressed excitement about the show being broadcast from the UAE - famous for its five-star venues and opulence - others were quick to highlight human rights concerns about the poor treatment of minorities in the country, including women and members of the LGBT+ community.

The UAE ranks 120th in gender inequality on a list of 153 countries, according to 2020 rankings by the World Economic Forum. The country is also on the list of the 20 most dangerous countries for travellers from the LGBTQ+ community according to Forbes Magazine. 

"Placing this franchise in Dubai - a place where it's illegal to be gay (...) is an interesting choice," tweeted NBC reporter Doha Madani.

Placing this franchise in Dubai - a place where it's illegal to be gay, to drink if you're a citizen, and up until last year, illegal to have sex out wedlock - is an interesting choice.

Particularly as its criticized for massive human rights violations. https://t.co/qnfLH84wEn

— Doha Madani (@DohaMadani) November 1, 2021

Spinoffs of the "Real Housewives" have aired across the globe. But it is the first time Bravo TV, which produced versions of the "The Real Housewives" across the United States - including New York, Beverly Hills and Miami - has gone international.