S01.E01: Sand Dunes And Don'ts

[Meredith Quill]

Quote

Welcome to the city of gold: Dubai. The elite social circles of this town include tech entrepreneurs, including Sara Al Madani, and fashion moguls, such as Lesa Milan. As Caroline Stanbury celebrates her engagement on a yacht, sandstorms begin to gather on the horizon when Caroline Brooks makes it known that Chanel Ayan was left off the invite list. It all comes to a head, under the new moon, at Nina Ali's rooftop dinner.

[Ms.Lulu]

I was hoping for Ladies of London energy, but sadly no.

They are focusing on glamour, but it feels a little trashy.

Not sure I'll be adding this to the rotation.

[Stats Queen]

I guess I’ll give it a couple of episodes to see if it gets a groove.

[Baltimore Betty]

That model sure does like to suck the air out of the room even when they are outside.

Caroline Stanbury's mouth looks odd, maybe it's her lips or teeth, I dunno but it just looks odd.

I don't know the other HW's names but they all seem to have money, a lot of money and cute kids.

I watched a BH rerun today, the HW's went to Dubai and they were so worried about their behavior, wardrobe and salty talk might not be acceptable but now I am seeing the revealing clothes and salty talk from these women...makes me think things may have relaxed a bit since their visit.

[MagicEyes]

16 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

Caroline Stanbury's mouth looks odd, maybe it's her lips or teeth, I dunno but it just looks odd.

It looks like she got veneers that are too big for her mouth. 
 

Do the two Carolines pronounce their names the same way? Why have two people on the show with the same name? It’s going to cause confusion.

[Straycat80]

So far so good. These HW’s are wealthy, good fashion (some tacky) and house porn. Why does Caroline Stanbury look familiar? I’m not liking Ayan,  who looks like a young Iman, she’s trying too hard to be the head bitch. 

[QQQQ]

2 minutes ago, Straycat80 said:

So far so good. These HW’s are wealthy, good fashion (some tacky) and house porn. Why does Caroline Stanbury look familiar? I’m not liking Ayan,  who looks like a young Iman, she’s trying too hard to be the head bitch. 

Caroline Stanbury was in Ladies of London.

[Bossa Nova]

Caroline Stanbury (the blonde), was a featured cast member on the now defunct "Ladies of London" (on Bravo). I loved loved that series. Sadly it only ran 3 or 4 seasons round about 2015 .

Stanbury was married to her 1st husband then, Cem, with whom she had 3 kids. They ended the series with her leaving London and moving to Dubai with him for his work. As you see, she has since divorced him and married the new 27 year old, Sergio. Interesting. A 15 year difference in their ages. 

From the interwebs:

"Caroline Stanbury said Ladies of London didn't endure because it wasn't positioned as a Bravo Housewives series. The show was canceled in 2017 after three seasons but amassed a loyal fanbase. "

Edited June 2, 2022 by Bossa Nova

[Kiss my mutt]

I wish they’d chuck this and bring back LoL instead. 

[Adgirl]

I rewatch LoL between Christmas and New Year's Eve every year. I loved that show.

I kinda dig Ayan (model). I find petty people very entertaining especially when they have nothing to lose.

[Cheezwiz]

As with all the new HoWife shows, I'm having a lot of trouble distinguishing the various cast members from one another. Only a couple stood out:

Caroline Stanbury looks like an older, plumper Margot Robbie to me. I giggled about the snarky speculation about her young fiance, because frankly I thought the same thing - it's a business arrangement.

Ayan looks like a dollar-store Iman, and seems desperate for camera time. Her histrionics are going to wear thin quickly.

Dubai seems like a bizarre place - fabricated out of nothing in the desert - kind of like Las Vegas.

The cast members all seem genuinely wealthy. I dunno that's all I got out of it for now.

[ZettaK]

This is the (mostly) Real Expatriate Housewives of Dubai. 

It's the second RH show where a male partner is called a boy toy when the huge age differences of other couples (where the male is much older) are ignored. Like the 32 year difference between Erika and Tom Gerardi for example. Sergio Carallo played football (soccer) for Real Madrid, one of the most famous teams in the world, and his family is well off. 

And the third RH show where a female cast member recently accused another female of being jealous of her (after the RHOC, and the RHOBH). 

Edited June 3, 2022 by ZettaK

[Baltimore Betty]

9 hours ago, QQQQ said:

Caroline Stanbury was in Ladies of London.

Also she was on Real Housewives BH for an episode when the ladies were in Dubai, she had or has a hotel or event venue they all went to see and they all gushed over it.

Did Sergio bring anything financial to the table or just his six pack? He seems a little eager to please and to have all those weddings.

The Iman look a like is not going to be one of my faves, I can tell already she will be the one to induce a lot of eye rolls from those of us watching this show.

So, what do we think, will we like these women more or less than we hated the Sex in the City movie that took place in Dubai?

[EtheltoTillie]

So much posturing in this first episode. That’s what the Housewives shows have become. I always thought Caroline Stanbury’s Gift Library business was made of smoke and mirrors, and it apparently failed. Now she is just doing more of the same. All these people claim to make a lot of money from what essentially is influencing. Is it really that lucrative?  

[DeeplyShallow]

5 hours ago, ZettaK said:

This is the (mostly) Real Expatriate Housewives of Dubai. 

It's the second RH show where a male partner is called a boy toy when the huge age differences of other couples (where the male is much older) are ignored. Like the 32 year difference between Erika and Tom Gerardi for example. Nina Ali's husband appears to be a lot older than her. Sergio Carallo played football (soccer) for Real Madrid, one of the most famous teams in the world, and his family is well off. 

And the third RH show where a female cast member recently accused another female of being jealous of her (after the RHOC, and the RHOBH). 

Sergio was on the Junior team for a year and never actually played a game for Real Madrid.

[pasdetrois]

47 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Caroline Stanbury’s Gift Library business was made of smoke and mirrors

I don't know how severe Dubai's financial/import/export laws are, but it could be one of the places where it's easy to launder money, or practice shady business tactics. Also, there's a reason why so many beautiful women flock to Dubai.

As others have already posted, its human rights history is horrible. A lot of people who get rich there do it off the backs of repressed and abused people.

[Keywestclubkid]

Im beautiful... got real old real fast ... if this is what the rest of this season is gonna consist of I'm gonna bow out

[byrd]

Well, I need to get a few more episodes in before I can comment , however I know already Ayan is getting on my freaking nerves, she reeks of insecurity ..anytime you have to keep telling everyone how beautiful you are , you are trying to convince yourself. 

[Straycat80]

11 hours ago, Kiss my mutt said:

I wish they’d chuck this and bring back LoL instead. 

My DVR taped LOL, it said from 2014 and must have been S 1 ep. one. I liked it but I’m obsessed with anything London, even though I’ve never been there but it’s on my bucket list. I hope Bravo keeps showing the reruns. 

[Welshman in Ca]

8 hours ago, Cheezwiz said:

Dubai seems like a bizarre place - fabricated out of nothing in the desert - kind of like Las Vegas.

As a place it's been around since the early 18th century but growth exploded with the discovery of oil in 1966. So yeah sort of like LV but it's on the coast & on a different continent, it also grew from a fishing village and is a city, state & emirate rather than a country so nothing like LV then.

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, pasdetrois said:

I don't know how severe Dubai's financial/import/export laws are, but it could be one of the places where it's easy to launder money, or practice shady business tactics. Also, there's a reason why so many beautiful women flock to Dubai.

As others have already posted, its human rights history is horrible. A lot of people who get rich there do it off the backs of repressed and abused people.

Bingo, this must be the explanation.

[TattleTeeny]

Outside of BH & NJ, this is the only RH I've watched. It seemed to be put together in a different aesthetic/style than BH & NJ. And I feel like it was hard to follow their conversations because so many people were talking at once -- which, I know, is the norm for these shows. But this felt different and more garbled/confusing, as if the crew was too far from the "action"? Anyway, I thought it was boring. But I will give it a try anyway -- I am hoping it gets fun!

Edited June 2, 2022 by TattleTeeny

[Sheenieb]

I'm in. I wasn't mad at the premiere. It gave opulence.

Ayan is doing too much to be the bitch of cast. She should let her bitchery flow naturally like the rest of the HoWives greats. Brooks will probably be the Ashley Darby of the cast. She's cool, but she also knows how to be messy. However, I feel sorry for the person who ends up with her son, though. She'll be the MIL from hell. 

I liked hearing Sara and Nina switch between Arabic and English during their conversation. I appreciate those cultural touchstones. 

Dubai is such an interesting place. It's semi-conservative, but since most of the population is made up of ex-pats, it's unclear if it's retained much of its own culture. It seems to mostly be known as a playground for the rich and skyscrapers. 

Edited June 2, 2022 by Sheenieb

[Carolina Girl]

5 hours ago, Baltimore Betty said:

Also she was on Real Housewives BH for an episode

Not to mention an episode of Million Dollar Listing LA. when Tracy went to audition to be the U.S. sales agent for a condominium complex.  Caroline was some executive with either the leasing company or the developer, I forget.

[MaggieG]

Still trying to learn everyone's names/backgrounds/who is friends with whom. Ayan came in hot right out of the gate. She seems like a lot. 

1 hour ago, Sheenieb said:

I'm in. I wasn't mad at the premiere. It gave opulence.

Ayan is doing too much to be the bitch of cast. She should let her bitchery flow naturally like the rest of the HoWives greats. Brooks will probably be the Ashley Darby of the cast. She's cool, but she also knows how to be messy. However, I feel sorry for the person who ends up with her son, though. She'll be the MIL from hell. 

I liked hearing Sara and Nina switch between Arabic and English during their conversation. I appreciate those cultural touchstones. 

Dubai is such an interesting place. It's semi-conservative, but since most of the population is made up of ex-pats, it's unclear if it's retained much of its own culture. It seems to mostly be known as a playground for the rich and skyscrapers. 

I liked that too. 

[Miss Slay]

I enjoyed it. I like Ayan -- she understood the assignment. I don't think she's being serious.

I'm not sure they're a real group of friends - so I think that's why it's coming across a bit slow. other than that, I think it has potential.

[MaggieG]

I also liked the full body confessionals. Full glam for those!

[Hedgehog2022]

I watched twenty minutes of this show and changed the channel. These vacuous spendthrift women with their phony lives and phony accents made me want to barf. Not to mention what some of these women are doing to their sons...turning them into emotional husbands... one of them begging her son never to marry and stay with her forever??? OMG! I'm one and done with this franchise...Byeeeee!

[amarante]

I'll give it a few more episodes - at least until I can sort out who the housewives actually are.

Props for Ayan for making herself distinguishable as she is the only housewife except for Stanbury that I am able to associate with her back story - e.g. that she is a model. The others are completely confusing to me in terms of who goes with which back story, occupation, family and husband. 

Stanbury remains loathsomely smug. She was loathsomely smug on London as well. I don't remember the details of her closing her ridiculous company but as I recall she did it in a particularly tone deaf and cruel manner in terms of her employees. And I always had the sense that there was something shady going on in terms of money laundering or tax evasion because the premise of the business just didn't seem enough to support the kind of bloated overhead she was running. 

I remembered that Stanbury had married a Jewish guy from London but I didn't realize that she identified as "Jewish". I had assumed given the way that she spoke about her links to royalty and the aristocracy that she was Anglican because while there are some old well connected British Jewish families, it seemed as though she was self identifying as part of the standard British ruling class which is Christian. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

I liked the episode, and I liked the women.  I'll continue to tune in.  I like all the hot husbands and cute kids too.

[Teriacky]

Up thread someone mentioned the SATC movie that took place In Dubai. I’m… they went to Abu Dhabi. Not Dubai. 
 

Caroline Stanbury converted to Judaism when she married Cem.

This isn’t the first “two Caroline’s” show. There we’re two Carolines in Ladies of London.

I want to punch Ayan in the face. 

[princelina]

I'm interested in hearing more of their back stories so I hope they tell more.  While I can imagine how one gets to New York, or LA or even London, I'm still confused about how a gal from New Jersey ends up having a "business" in Dubai 😄. I'd also like to hear more about how the model got from her village in Africa to where she is today.

[EtheltoTillie]

OMG, there are all these new reaction emojis! Need to review.  

[EtheltoTillie]

One of the new housewives, I can't remember which one, reminded me suspiciously of Jen Shah from Salt Lake City.  Something about the look and even her business.  We'll see how that plays out.  

[Baltimore Betty]

3 hours ago, Teriacky said:

Up thread someone mentioned the SATC movie that took place In Dubai. I’m… they went to Abu Dhabi. Not Dubai. 

It was me and you are correct, the movie still stunk up the room though.

[ZettaK]

13 hours ago, DeeplyShallow said:

Sergio was on the Junior team for a year and never actually played a game for Real Madrid.

I think he played for the Under 19 (Junior) Real Madrid team.

8 hours ago, Carolina Girl said:

Not to mention an episode of Million Dollar Listing LA. when Tracy went to audition to be the U.S. sales agent for a condominium complex.  Caroline was some executive with either the leasing company or the developer, I forget.

Caroline Stanbury was on Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, but not because she was an executive for the Dubai developer, etc. She was Tracy Tutor's friend and they met when Tracy went to Dubai for her real estate business. Caroline was/is a stylist, and "influencer" like some other cast members. And no, none is part of the Dubai elite like the show claimed. 

Caroline should learn to properly pronounce her husband's first (she kept mispronouncing it), and last name. 

[QQQQ]

2 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

OMG, there are all these new reaction emojis! Need to review.  

From the mods:

If you hover over each one it will tell you what it is, but for clarity here are the intended meanings:

Heart = Love

Thumbs Up = Like

Clapping Hands = Applause

Flames = Fire (aka 'That's fire/on fire')

Mind Blown = Awesome/Amazing/Astounding

Primetimer color stripes = Thanks

Wink = Winking

Teddy Bear = Hug

Laugh = same as before

Useful = same as before

[CrinkleCutCat]

Most of these women are so unlikeable! I will do due diligence and wait and see over the next few episodes though….

[Kiki777]

20 hours ago, Keywestclubkid said:

Im beautiful... got real old real fast ... if this is what the rest of this season is gonna consist of I'm gonna bow out

Ayan was by far not even the most beautiful woman at the table, even without factoring in her personality.  I find her exhausting and wonder if she is just playing for the camera and trying to stand out.

[MaggieG]

1 hour ago, Kiki777 said:

Ayan was by far not even the most beautiful woman at the table, even without factoring in her personality.  I find her exhausting and wonder if she is just playing for the camera and trying to stand out.

Personally I thought Lesa and Nina were stunning at that dinner. 

[Fig Newton]

You know what I learned from watching these narcissistic women?

I am glad I am ME, and not them.

❣️

[Mahamid Frauded Me]

I realized that I could never live in Dubai, if I can't pop down to the local store and pick up a bottle or three of wine, I may as well wander off into the desert. Already not liking Ayan, but it was only Ep1 so I will have to see how this goes. 

[SemiCharmedLife]

8 hours ago, Mahamid Frauded Me said:

I realized that I could never live in Dubai, if I can't pop down to the local store and pick up a bottle or three of wine, I may as well wander off into the desert. Already not liking Ayan, but it was only Ep1 so I will have to see how this goes. 

No problem, just hop onto your yacht and head out to the harbor for a drink.  😉

[TheCouchPotato]

I’ve watched a lot of housewives and seen a lot of waste but spending $1200 on ice to throw in the pool takes the cake. 
 

[Cheezwiz]

16 hours ago, Fig Newton said:

You know what I learned from watching these narcissistic women?

I am glad I am ME, and not them.

I think that's actually kind of the point of these shows. Despite all their material stuff, these people are mostly pretty awful, so I'm happy to sit in my dumpy apartment in my bargain clothes and be glad I'm not them!

Also completely off-topic @Fig Newton, but I love, looooove your profile pic! Is that your puppy? Ridiculously cute!

[Malvina]

On 6/2/2022 at 1:35 PM, amarante said:

I'll give it a few more episodes - at least until I can sort out who the housewives actually are.

Props for Ayan for making herself distinguishable as she is the only housewife except for Stanbury that I am able to associate with her back story - e.g. that she is a model. The others are completely confusing to me in terms of who goes with which back story, occupation, family and husband. 

Stanbury remains loathsomely smug. She was loathsomely smug on London as well. I don't remember the details of her closing her ridiculous company but as I recall she did it in a particularly tone deaf and cruel manner in terms of her employees. And I always had the sense that there was something shady going on in terms of money laundering or tax evasion because the premise of the business just didn't seem enough to support the kind of bloated overhead she was running. 

I remembered that Stanbury had married a Jewish guy from London but I didn't realize that she identified as "Jewish". I had assumed given the way that she spoke about her links to royalty and the aristocracy that she was Anglican because while there are some old well connected British Jewish families, it seemed as though she was self identifying as part of the standard British ruling class which is Christian. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CeR_Z4DMNnK/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[amarante]

7 hours ago, Malvina said:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CeR_Z4DMNnK/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Very interesting

But someone whose grandfather changed his name from Steinberg to Stanbury sometime in the 20th Century is NOT part of the aristocracy as she claimed to be in Ladies. 

FWIW I am Jewish of the New York City variety and that kind of background wouldn't even have qualified to be part of the German Jewish families who grudgingly were accepted into NY "society" in the 19th century and that was VERY grudgingly - i.e. the Guggenheims, the Lehmans, the Schiffs as they were not fully a part of the highest social gentile circles. US was much more fluid than England was in terms of who was in the highest "social" circles and I doubt that a recently renamed Jew was part of the English circle even in the 20th Century. It wasn't until after WW II that Jews became part of the New York City social circles. 

I would imagine it wasn't until the 1980's when England became less obsessed with titles and more fluid in terms of money opening up some doors that rich English Jews were admitted to some degree.

I am NOT supporting this kind of social snobbery - I want to make it clear. However Stanbury in the Ladies of London show presented herself as a full member of the aristocratic class and she really just came from relatively new money and was part of the "merchant class". There was the tragic Annabelle who was McQueen's muse and as I recall she really did come from an aristocratic titled family. 

I am the antithesis of social snob so why am I experiencing a surge of schadenfreude with this piercing of Stanbury's pretentiousness. 

Edited June 4, 2022 by amarante

[Opine]

On 6/2/2022 at 1:02 PM, TattleTeeny said:

Outside of BH & NJ, this is the only RH I've watched. It seemed to be put together in a different aesthetic/style than BH & NJ. And I feel like it was hard to follow their conversations because so many people were talking at once -- which, I know, is the norm for these shows. But this felt different and more garbled/confusing, as if the crew was too far from the "action"? Anyway, I thought it was boring. But I will give it a try anyway -- I am hoping it gets fun!

I agree about the everybody talking problem.  I think it is because it is not all American accents and we have to work harder.  Ayan needs subtitles.  I can't even understand her, but then I am southern!  I don't care for her, and if I drop this show from the lineup she will definitely be the reason why.

[TattleTeeny]

Maybe. It just felt so different from the same issue on BH and NJ, and I have no idea why.

[Marley]

I had no problem understanding anyone.

The woman who was born in the UAE seems interesting I wanna see more of her.

Ayan was annoying and seems to be trying too hard. One of her wigs did not look good. At least I think it was a wig.

Sergio and Caroline seem really fake. I wonder what’s going on there.