Dubai Bling season two review: What could have been great is only good – The National

Dubai Bling season two review: What could have been great is only good – The National

When the first season of Dubai Bling premiered on Netflix last year, the reality show was the centre of much contention.Ostentatious displays of wealth, unnecessary drama, the same shots of Dubai’s skyline and desert, all played into the stereotypes many Gulf Arabs often fight against.These are valid points to find frustrating. While the West has and continues to confine Gulf Arabs and residents of the region to a specific caricature, it felt counter intuitive to present those same stereotypes on a silver platter lined with diamonds and sprinkled with gold leaf.However, it’s also important to remember that Dubai Bling is a reality show. This means that, for the most part, it’s as far removed from reality as possible. It is not a documentary, neither is it study on Arab identity or a show that claims to represent Arabs or the region. The point isn’t to represent, the point is to entertain within a particular genre – and merit must be placed on entertainment, especially if it is frivolous.With this context in place, was the new season of Dubai Bling entertaining? It's complicated.The second season starts with analysing the aftermath of the main dramatic incident in season one that split the