'Hydra' pits America against UK

Dubai-set reality show based on 'Apprentice'

By BRYAN PEARSON

BAGHDAD -- If you're looking for hot property deals in the Middle East, keep an eye on "The Hydra Executives."

Taping began this week of the reality show to be shown over 16 weeks beginning April 8 on Infinity TV and Showtime Arabia -- and immediately it put up its first surprise.

The eight members of the American team who will be facing an equal number of British contestants for the $1 million prize were made to clean up following a lavish launch party in Abu Dhabi after the audience voted against them.

"The first challenge was to see who the party guests thought were a better team. They picked the British team, so the losers -- the Americans -- had to wash up. It's all part of the learning process," said chief exec of Hydra Properties and driving force of the show, Suleiman al-Fahim.

Show is based on Donald Trump's "The Apprentice." It has been adapted by Hydra and given a UAE setting where the two teams will spend 16 weeks squaring off against each other in a string of business-related challenges that will test their abilities to make it big in both the property game and the business world.

Each week one contestant will be kicked off -- until an overall winner is left standing at the grand finale in June.

The stakes are high -- the winner will see his or her dream-property project undertaken by Hydra Properties and get a $1 million stake in it.

Candidates were selected according to their background in real estate, architecture, engineering, sales, marketing and finance. For the first two weeks, contestants will stay at a boot camp for a crash course in the real estate business. The ensuing weeks will see challengers presented with myriad tasks designed to measure their ability to engage in teamwork and take calculated risks. Their people skills, innovation abilities and passion for business will also be tested. Judges are made up of industry experts who will review both overall performances of the team as well as individual performances of participants.

"We are expecting to educate as well as entertain the general public on the highly exciting world of property development through this show," al-Fahim said. "We are also optimistic that the show will present a tremendous opportunity to promote Abu Dhabi as the richest and fastest-growing development market in the world."

Al-Fahim runs a tight ship: Since its establishment in 2006 in Abu Dhabi, Hydra Properties has been behind the development of major projects such as Abu Dhabi Gate, Executive Towers and Marina Spirit at the City of Lights, Al Reem Island, Hydra Towers and Eve's Tower in Dubai.

He is confident "The Hydra Executives" will be flushed with the same sort of success -- and that the big winner will not go away disappointed.

"When it comes to prizes, whoever wins will become a proper player in the property market and have a stake in a potentially huge project. I think they will be very, very happy with that," he said.