Is love really blind? Since 2020, couples around the world have been trying to prove as much – mostly unsuccessfully – in Netflix's hugely popular reality show Love is Blind. Following its debut, set in the US, the show has spawned eight international versions, including Love is Blind: Habibi, the Arabic spin-off that had its premiere in October last year.
The format is similar across all. A group of single men and women looking for love are introduced to each other through “pods”, where they can interact but not see the other person. Once participants have chosen their prospective partners, the couple meet for the first time and become engaged. They are then flown to a luxury resort where they spend time and get to know each other better. In the final stage of the experiment, the couples who are still together go back to their respective lives where they meet each other's families and friends, and are given 10 days to prepare for their wedding.
From Brazil to the UK and Japan, each edition of Love is Blind has proved to be a hit, turning some of its cast members into overnight celebrities. Love is Blind: Habibi, for instance, was viewed more than 1.3 million times in the first seven days after its debut. It also ranked No 8 globally among Netflix's non-English shows.
With Love is Blind: France coming later this year and Love is Blind: Italy also announced, here are all the international editions so far ranked by fan ratings on IMDb.
Watch out for spoilers from reunion episodes
9. Love is Blind: Habibi
Number of seasons: 1
IMDb rating: 5.4/10
Viewership in first week: 1.3 million (season one)
Hosts: Khaled Saqer and Elham Ali
The Arabic-speaking version of Love is Blind became a massive hit, dominating social media chats and debates for weeks after its premiere in October. Featuring 20 singles – 10 women and 10 men – from across the Arab world and North Africa who are all residents of the UAE, the series was filmed in Lebanon, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Six couples progressed to the next stage and were flown to a luxury resort in Lebanon, where their relationship was further tested. Eventually, out of two couples who made it to the wedding day, only one – Safa and Mohammed – exchanged vows.
Speaking to The National a few weeks after their debut, cast members shared how their lives had changed thanks to the popularity of the show.
“This experience didn’t just transform me, it shaped me into a person I never imagined I could be,” Mohammed said. “It opened up a whole new world and revealed aspects of myself I hadn’t recognised before. Beyond discovering ‘the one’, I found myself.”
8. Love is Blind: Germany
Number of seasons: 1
IMDb rating: 5.4/10
Viewership in first week: 1.3 million (season one)
Hosts: Steffi and Chris Wackert-Brungs
Hosted by German TV presenter Stephanie “Steffi” Brungs and her husband, the show had its premiere in January with 30 singles. Only one couple, Alina and Ilias, have remained married, however.
7. Love is Blind: Mexico
Number of seasons: 1
IMDb rating: 5.5/10
Viewership in first week: 1.2 million (season one)
Hosts: Omar and Lucy Chaparro
One of the most dramatic editions, Love is Blind: Mexico debuted in August last year. Of the nine women and nine men taking part, six couples made it to the next stage and only one couple, Karen and Fernando, made it to the altar. At the reunion episode, which aired three weeks later, the couple confirmed they were still together and had even started a business.
6. Love is Blind: Argentina
Number of seasons: 1
IMDb rating: 5.6/10
Viewership in first week: Data unavailable
Hosts: Dario Barassi and Wanda Nara
Launching in November last year, Love is Blind: Argentina saw two couples get married. In a break from format, Florencia Fernandez and Jose Luis Farina, who did not get engaged during the pods segment, returned to the show as a couple during the honeymoon phase.
They are also the couple who have managed to stay married, a fact revealed in the reunion episode.
5. Love is Blind: Brazil
Number of seasons: 4
IMDb rating: 6.2/10
Viewership in first week: 2.1 million (season four)
Hosts: Camila Queiroz and Klebber Toledo
The first country to get its own version, Love is Blind: Brazil debuted in October 2021, with production for season five in progress.
Hosted by celebrity couple Camila Queiroz and Klebber Toledo, this spin-off is as dramatic as reality shows can get. In season one, for example, there was a massive twist in the fairy tale: Nanda – who originally chose Thiago over Mackdavid – revealed in the reunion episode that she and Thiago had separated and that she had got back with Mackdavid. Nanda and Mackdavid welcomed a baby named Ben in 2022.
4. Love is Blind: USA
Number of seasons: 8
IMDb rating: 6.2/10
Viewership in first week: 5 million (season eight)
Hosts: Nick and Vanessa Lachey
The OG show, there have been eight seasons of this version hosted by celebrity couple Nick and Vanessa Lachey. In season eight, released in March, five couples were featured, out of which only one – Taylor Haag and Daniel Hastings – got hitched. The couple married in March 2024.
The show has won the Critics' Choice Real TV Awards, which recognise achievements in non-scripted shows, three times – in 2020, 2022 and 2023. It has been renewed for its ninth and tenth seasons, with two seasons typically released each year.
3. Love is Blind: Sweden
Number of seasons: 2
IMDb rating: 6.5/10
Viewership in first week: 1.7 million (season one)
Host: Jessica Almenas
Sweden's version premiered in January last year, with five couples moving to the next stage of the relationship. Three couples celebrated their wedding, out of which Krisse-Ly and Rasmus recently revealed the former is pregnant. Amanda and Sergio also announced they were expecting their first child, a boy named Ralph, who was born in May last year.
The second season, which had its debut in March, featured three couples eventually exchanging vows. One duo, Karin and Niklas, announced they were expecting their first child in the reunion episode.
2. Love is Blind: UK
Number of seasons: 2
IMDb rating: 6.9/10
Viewership in first week: 3.6 million (season one) and 2.6 million (season two)
Hosts: Matt and Emma Willis
Matt Willis, co-founder of English pop-punk band Busted, hosts this show with his wife, broadcaster Emma Willis. Debuting on August 7 last year, the show featured seven couples who found their prospective partners. Out of these, three made it to the altar.
In the reunion episode, it's revealed that Steven and Sabrina have called it quits after saying “I do”, leaving just two couples who successfully found love – Benaiah and Nicole, and Bobby and Jasmine.
Season two debuted on August 13 with five couples moving on to the next stage. While this season received lower buzz and viewership than the first, the UK version of the reality show is still one of the most popular globally.
Six couples met their match, but three make it to the altar – Billy and Ashleigh, Kieran and Megan and Kal and Sarover. More drama is likely to ensure when the reunion episode airs on August 31.
1. Love is Blind: Japan
Number of seasons: 1
IMDb rating: 7.0/10
Viewership in first week: Data unavailable
Hosts: Takashi Fujii and Yuka Itaya
The second country to get a spin-off after Brazil, Love is Blind: Japan had its premiere in February 2022 and featured eight couples who found their potential true loves. Six couples separated before their wedding day, leaving Wataru Mizote and Midori, as well as fan-favourites Ryotaro and Motomi, to get hitched. The couples are still married with both pairs now becoming parents.
A second season was announced in March, but was later cancelled.
A version of this story was first published in March 2025
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Live: On beIN Sports HD
VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS
Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
Youngest F1 driver to win the same race (Mexico 2017/18)
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
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