The Iraqi drama has witnessed recent years, noting the stability of the security and political conditions in the country, as well as the increasing government support for the entertainment sector. The digital platforms also contributed to the expansion of the circle of the spread of Iraqi series, which are being shown in high artistic quality and received increasing interest in the Arab world.
This shift coincides with the emergence of a new generation of Iraqi writers and directors, who perform rich and varied dramas, inspired by their stories from daily reality, dealing with issues of interest to the Arab citizen and expressing his concerns in a close and simple manner.
In the following, we review a group of the most prominent Iraqi series that have booked a place for Arab screens and digital platforms:
The romantic “Baghdad” is the Iraqi way
The series “Hai Baghdad” revealed in 2019 a breakthrough in the romantic drama that was exaggerated before, so its 15 episodes came to carry separate love stories that reveal the conditions of different societal classes, customs and traditions in the Iraqi provinces, starting from the capital to the countryside, using an innovative photography method in reviewing tourist and historical monuments in Iraq.
The series is starring the Turkish actor of Iraqi Aser West, and the Tunisian -Iraqi actress Zahra Bin Mim, and directed by Muhannad Abu Khamra, who later collected his stories inside a book published in 2020, coinciding with the Baghdad Book Fair.
It is noteworthy that there is a second part of the series that was released entitled “The Tigris and the Euphrates” in Ramadan in 2021, but it was not successful because of many productive crises.
“Ten” is an Iraqi drama documenting the pain of war
Among the most prominent works that dealt with the war phase from a pure humanitarian angle, the “Ten” series, which was first shown in 2023, came, reviewing the stories of 10 martyrs who fell during the war, and the suffering of their relatives. The series was distinguished by avoiding political discourse and violent scenes, and instead focused on an influential dramatic narration that touches the conscience and illuminates the human pain that the war left in the lives of families.
In Ramadan 2025, the series returned with a second part entitled “Twenty”, and this work achieved a public success that exceeded the first part. It was distinguished by a more profound and mature narration style, transgressing traditional templates in the war drama, to review the stories of 20 martyrs of terrorism, and reveal the psychological and social impact on their families in a way that is closer to emotional documentation than to the political presentation.
The series was starring the artist Alaa Hussein and actor Khalil Fadel Khalil, and authored by the workshop of the writer Mustafa Al -Rikabi, and directed by Ali Hadid, who gave the work a distinctive artistic touch that contributed to making him one of the most prominent productions of Iraqi drama in recent years.
“The Night of Fall”
The series “The Night of the Fall”, which was produced in 2023, dealt with the details of the suffering that the people of Mosul lived during the period of armed groups, reviewing the harsh events that spanned between 2014 and 2017. The work focused, through an intense dramatic narration, on the liberation journey that the Iraqi Armed Forces fought, in partnership with the Peshmerga and the Popular Mobilization Forces, conveying the viewers the moments of restoring the city and the accompanying hope for salvation after years of pain and suffering.
The series was distinguished by the participation of a group of Arab drama stars, which gave it a wide public dimension. The Egyptian artist Tariq Lutfi, along with the Jordanian star Saba Mubarak, and 3 of the most prominent stars of the Syrian drama: Bassem Yakhour, Kinda Hanna and Milad Youssef. This Arab diversity contributed to promoting the human dimension of the story, and linking the Arab viewer to the details of the Iraqi reality.
The series was presented with an authorship of the Egyptian writer Majdi Saber, who worked on the project for more than 3 years, during which he met the families of the martyrs, the injured and the eyewitnesses, which gave the text a deep real dimension. As for the directing, the Syrian director Naji Tohme, known for his inclinations to realism, was used by real fighters in some scenes, and he was keen to provide accurate and shocking details, such as the scene of a real mine explosion of ISIS waste, which was filmed using special cinematic techniques, but led to the destruction of all the cameras used, which showed the size of the challenge that the work team faced.
The “Night of the Fall” is one of the largest dramatic productions in the Arab world, as its budget exceeded $ 5 million, in addition to a large logistical support from the Iraqi government exceeding $ 10 million, which enabled its industry to provide a different dramatic experience, documenting the war from an unconventional humanitarian and technical angle.
Khan Al -Dahab .. Families’ conflict
In Ramadan 2023, the series “Khan Al -Dahab”, which presented the theme of the family conflict, was shown differently, by entering the world of goldsmiths, in an unprecedented dramatic presentation in Arab drama. The work was distinguished by a coherent plot and a deep writing of the characters, written by Mohamed Hanash, with a remarkable performance from Sami Kaftan, Amira Jawad and others, and directed by Bahaa Khadajj.
In 2024, the second part was issued entitled “Khan Al -Dahab … the beginning”, but it did not meet the same success, and was criticized because of its daring and its distance from the reality of Iraqi society. It was also presented by a Saudi version, entitled “The Spider’s House” in the same year.
“Dar Al -Mansiain” .. human drama
In the absence of a clear absence of the issues of the elderly in the Arab drama, the Iraqi series “Dar Al -Mansiain” came to break this silence during the last Ramadan season, highlighting the psychological and health suffering of the elderly within the care homes, as a result of family marginalization and the absence of support from the children.
The work addresses the phenomenon of family disintegration and its escalating impact in some Arab societies, through a deep and painful human narration.
The series is starring Star Khudair, Star Alwan, Mohsen Al -Ali, Mohamed Hashem, written by Muhannad Hadi and directed by Haider Al -Shami.
“Death Train”
The series “The Train of Death” has an intense documentary character, as it restores in 7 episodes to highlight one of the most sensitive periods in modern Iraqi history, specifically in 1963, which witnessed the Baathists’ coup against Abdul Karim Qasim, the first prime minister of the Iraqi Republic after the fall of the monarchy.
The work focuses on the tragic “death train” incident, which killed about 100 political detainees, who were suffocated inside a poor ventilation transport vehicle while deporting a prison.
The series is starring Bassem Al -Tayeb, Khalil Ibrahim, Ahmed Al -Rikabi, and written by Ali Sabry, and directed by Raad Mushtt.