The X Factor Arabia, originally aired on March 26, 2006, with the title XSeer Al Najah (meaning Elixir or Essence of Success) is the Arab version of The X Factor. The Arabic-language version of the program also created by Simon Cowell has a similar format to the British version, in that there are judges who each have a team of contestants to mentor and compete with each other for the X Factor title. The 14-episode first series was broadcast in 22 Arabic-speaking countries. In its debut, it was known as being one of the most watched programs on television and was produced and supported by Rotana, one of the largest production companies in the Arab World. The winner of XSeer Al Najah earned a chance to sign with Rotana. However, with the continuing success of the rival pan-Arab series Star Academy on Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC), XSeer All Najah lost most of its pan-Arab appeal and was discontinued after season 2. In 2023, season 5 was released.
| The X Factor | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | MBC The X Factor |
| Created by | Simon Cowell |
| Presented by | Nathalie Maamary (2006) Samer al-Masry (2018) Joelle Rahme (2006–2007) Yosra El Lozy (2013) Bassel Alzaro (2013–2015) Daniella Rahme (2015) Wael Mansour (2015) Rami Radwan (2018) Maryam Said (2018) |
| Judges | Nelly (2006) Khaled El Sheikh (2006–07) Michel Elefteriades (2006–07) Anoushka (2007) Carole Samaha (2013) Wael Kfoury (2013) Hussain Al Jasmi (2013) Elissa (2013–2015) Ragheb Alama (2015)(2023) Donia Samir Ghanem (2015–2018) Saber Rebai (2018) Najwa Karam (2018) Majid Al Mohandis (2018) Angham (2023) |
| Country of origin | Arab World |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 38 (as of March 22, 2013) |
| Production | |
| Producers | Rotana CBC SYCOtv MBC INMedia Plus Future Media Company Imagic Group Syco Entertainment FremantleMedia |
| Running time | 60–120 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | LBC, Rotana (2006–2007) CBC (2013) MBC1 (2015–present) |
| Release |
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In 2012, the Egyptian TV channel CBC announced that The X Factor Arabia would return in 2013 with four judges: Elissa, Carole Samaha, Wael Kfoury, and Hussain Al Jasmi. Despite its revamped format, The X Factor Arabia struggled against its rival show MBC's Arab Idol which aired at the same time slot as The X Factor.
In 2014, MBC brought the rights for the show from CBC, revamped its format and started producing season four. Only Elissa as a judge and Bassel Alzaro as a host were retained from season three during MBC's restructure of the show. The judges on MBC The X Factor are Ragheb Alama, Elissa and Donia Samir Ghanem. The first episode aired on 14 March 2015 on MBC1 and MBC Masr.
After a new hiatus of almost 2+1⁄2 years, the programme rights were purchased by the Dubai Channel and DMC and was relaunched at the end of 2017. The judges were Donia Samir Ghanem from season 4, the Lebanese Najwa Karam replacing Elissa, the Iraqi Majid Al Mohandis replacing Ragheb Alama and Tunisian Saber Rebai as a fourth addition judge. 2023 trat Ragheb Alama, Angham Und Abdallah Al Rowaished der Jury bei für die 5. Staffel.
Summary
In each series, each judge is allocated a category to mentor and chooses three acts to progress to the live finals. This table shows, for each series, which category each judge was allocated and which acts he or she put through to the live finals.
Key:
- – Winning judge/category. Winners are in bold, eliminated contestants in small font.
| Season | Year | Nelly | Khaled El Sheikh | Michel Elefteriades | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | 6 Feb - 15 May 2006 | Over 25s Maher Raja Kessabny Sherine | 16-24s Ahmad Dora Hala | Groups Guitarista Play Prova | |
| Season | Year | Anoushka | Khaled El Sheikh | Michel Elefteriades | |
| Two | 29 May - 1 August 2007 | 16-24s Chamiyya C Hala Mahmoud Muhammad El Majzoub | Over 25s Bouchra Ikram Nisrine Ousama | Groups Nhas Safaa & Hanaa Trio Twins | |
| Season | Year | Elissa | Carole Samaha | Wael Kfoury | Hussain Al Jasmi |
| Three | 21 Feb 2013 | Girls Imane Karkibou Salwa Anlouf Soumaya Turki | Groups Young Pharoz Maraya Band Les Bledards Ninja | Boys Adham Nabulsi Al Muntasser Billah Houssam Terchichi Ali Hamed | Over 25s Mohammed Rifi Ibrahim Abdel Adim Marwa Ahmed |
| Season | Year | Ragheb Alama | Elissa | Donia Samir Ghanem | |
| Four | 14 March 2015 | Solo International Hamza Hawsawi Latoya Nedjim Mahtallah Maria Nadim | Solo Arabic Hind Ziadi Majdi Sharif Rania Jdidi Nada Khalil | Groups The5 GuitaNai Mounib Band Aves Band | |
| Season | Year | Saber Rebai | Donia Samir Ghanem | Najwa Karam | Majid Al Mohandis |
| Five | 2017–2018 | Rabih al Nussaybi |
Season 1 (2006)
Results summary
- Colour key
Act in team Nelly
Act in team Khaled
Act in team Michel
| – | Act was in the bottom two and had to sing again in the final showdown |
| – | Act received the fewest public votes and was immediately eliminated (no final showdown) |
| – | Act received the most public votes |
| Act | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Quarter-Final | Semi-Final | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raja | Safe | Safe | Bottom Two | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Winner | |
| Ahmed | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom Two | Bottom Two | Safe | Safe | Runner-up | |
| Guitarista | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | 3rd | Eliminated (semi-final) | |
| Dora | Bottom Two | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | 4th | Eliminated (quarter-final) | ||
| Maher | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom Two | Eliminated (week 5) | |||
| Play | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom Two | Eliminated (week 4) | ||||
| Hala | Safe | Bottom Two | Bottom Two | Eliminated (week 3) | |||||
| Prova | Safe | Bottom Two | Eliminated (week 2) | ||||||
| Sherine | Bottom Two | Eliminated (week 1) | |||||||
| Final Showdown | No final showdown or judges' votes; results were based on public votes alone | ||||||||
| Nelly's vote to eliminate (Groups) | |||||||||
| Khaled's vote to eliminate (16-24s) | |||||||||
| Michel's vote to eliminate (Over 25s) | |||||||||
| Eliminated | Sherine 2 of 3 votes Majority | Prova 2 of 3 votes Majority | Hala 2 of 3 votes Majority | Play 2 of 3 votes Majority | Maher 2 of 3 votes Majority | Dora Public vote to save | Guitarista Public vote to save | Ahmed Public vote to win | |
Season 2 (2007)
Season 2 was won by Muhammad El Majzoub.
Season 3 (2013)
- Colour key
| – | Contestant was in the bottom two and had to sing again in the final showdown |
| – | Contestant received the fewest public votes and was immediately eliminated (no final showdown) |
| – | Contestant received the most public votes |
| Contestant | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Round 2 | ||||||||||
| Mohammed Rifi | 1st 24.66% | 1st 23.42% | 1st 25.44% | 1st 33.08% | 1st 32.03% | 1st 33.50% | 1st 31.18% | 1st 35.11% | 1st 46.16% | 1st 61.16% | Winner |
| Ibrahim Abdel Adim | 12th 1.36% | 2nd 13.69% | 6th 7.60% | 7th 4.64% | 5th 8.40% | 4th 9.12% | 3rd 15.22% | 3rd 17.24% | 2nd 19.62% | 2nd 20.92% | Runner-Up |
| Adham Nabulsi | 3rd 15.17% | 5th 12.15% | 3rd 14.64% | 2nd 15.36% | 2nd 21.12% | 2nd 17.55% | 2nd 18.34% | 4th 15.12% | 3rd 19.47% | 3rd 17.39% | Eliminated |
| Young Pharoz | 2nd 18.32% | 6th 10.55% | 5th 9.54% | 4th 9.53% | 4th 8.85% | 3rd 13.12% | 5th 13.46% | 2nd 22.79% | 4th 14.75% | Eliminated (week 9) | |
| Imane Karkibou | 5th 10.30% | 3rd 13.63% | 2nd 15.39% | 5th 8.92% | 7th 7.55% | 7th 8.65% | 4th 13.57% | 5th 9.74% | Eliminated (week 8) | ||
| Salwa Anlouf | 4th 13.17% | 4th 12.52% | 4th 11.06% | 3rd 10.60% | 3rd 10.00% | 5th 9.05% | 6th 8.23% | Eliminated (week 7) | |||
| Marwa Ahmed | 8th 2.41% | 7th 3.60% | 7th 4.05% | 6th 6.58% | 6th 8.33% | 6th 9.02% | Eliminated (week 6) | ||||
| Maraya | 7th 3.67% | 9th 2.44% | 9th 3.37% | 8th 3.99% | 8th 3.72% | Eliminated (week 5) | |||||
| Al Muntasser Billah | 11th 1.45% | 10th 2.08% | 10th 2.78% | 9th 3.98% | Eliminated (week 4) | ||||||
| Houssam Terchichi | 6th 5.24% | 8th 2.86% | 8th 3.81% | 10th 3.31% | Eliminated (week 4) | ||||||
| Les Bledards Ninja | 10th 1.56% | 11th 1.72% | 11th 2.32% | Eliminated (week 3) | |||||||
| Ali Hamed | 9th 1.71% | 12th 1.35% | Eliminated (week 2) | ||||||||
| Soumaya Turki | 13th 0.99% | Eliminated (week 1) | |||||||||
| Final showdown | Soumaya Turki, Ibrahim Abdel Adim | Ali Hamed, Les Bledards Ninja | Les Bledards Ninja, Al Mountassir Billah | Al Mountassir Billah, Maraya | Maraya, Imane Karkibou | Imane Karkibou, Marwa Ahmed | Salwa Anlouf, Young Pharoz | Imane Karkibou, Adham Nabulsi | No final showdown or judges' votes; results were based on public votes alone | ||
| Samaha's vote to save | Ibrahim Abdel Adim | Les Bledards Ninja | Les Bledards Ninja | Maraya | Maraya | Imane Karkibou | Young Pharoz | Adham Nabulsi | |||
| Kfoury's vote to save | Ibrahim Abdel Adim | Ali Hamed | Al Mountassir Billah | Al Mountassir Billah | Imane Karkibou | Imane Karkibou | Young Pharoz | Adham Nabulsi | |||
| Elissa's vote to save | Soumaya Turki | Les Bledards Ninja | Al Mountassir Billah | Al Mountassir Billah | Imane Karkibou | Imane Karkibou | Salwa Anlouf | Imane Karkibou | |||
| Al Jasmi's vote to save | Ibrahim Abdel Adim | Les Bledards Ninja | Al Mountassir Billah | Maraya | Imane Karkibou | Marwa Ahmed | Young Pharoz | Adham Nabulsi | |||