The camera pans across a vast expanse of desert before careening toward an artificial island lined with luxury homes in the Persian Gulf. Eerie chords ring out, as though warning viewers: This is not your 鈥淩eal Housewives of Orange County.鈥�

For the first time in its 16-year history, the American franchise that has become an institution of reality television will take its glamor and soap opera abroad 鈥� specifically, to the skyscraper-studded sheikhdom of Dubai. While the franchise has sold countless global spinoffs from Lagos to Vancouver, none have been produced by the Bravo network before.

鈥淭he Real Housewives of Dubai鈥� debuts on Wednesday, inducting six new women into network鈥檚 crown jewel of catfights and marital meltdowns that is beloved, binged and hate-watched around the world.

Dubai might be some 13,000 kilometers (8,000 miles) away from the California gated community where the reality-show empire premiered in 2006, which a cameo by camels in the series鈥� teaser makes clear.

But as Dubai鈥檚 鈥渉ousewives鈥� gossip over lavish lunches, bicker while sipping from stem glasses and arrive at casual gatherings engulfed in designer logos, it turns out they鈥檙e not so far from Orange County after all.

That鈥檚 a message the women want to convey. Cast members say showing off their extravagant, party-hard lives on screen debunks stereotypes about the United Arab Emirates, a Gulf Arab federation where Islam is the official religion.

鈥淭his is an opportunity for me to show the Western world, or the world in general, how a modern Arab woman can be,鈥� Sara Al Madani, a serial entrepreneur and single mom, told The Associated Press from her quirky villa adorned with portraits of her favorite non-fungible tokens and a room full of trophies commemorating her career.

Instead of the traditional black abaya, Al Madani sported a wide-brimmed suede hat. With a nose ring, tongue piercing and arm tattoo that reads 鈥淩ebel,鈥� she was the first to admit: 鈥淚鈥檓 not your typical Arab or Emirati.鈥�

Al Madani is the only Emirati cast member 鈥� a ratio that comes as no surprise in a country where expatriates outnumber locals nearly nine to one.

The other 鈥渉ousewives鈥� found Dubai鈥檚 glitz from far afield. Caroline Stanbury, a reality star who stirred up drama in Bravo鈥檚 鈥淟adies of London鈥� series moved to Dubai with her kids after getting divorced and remarrying a former soccer player.

Caroline Brooks, an Afro-Latina businesswoman from Massachusetts, rose to success in Dubai鈥檚 cutthroat real estate industry. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very expensive to cheat on me,鈥� she tells viewers in the trailer. 鈥淎sk my exes.鈥�

Nina Ali, an ultra-glam Lebanese mother of three, founded Fruit Cake, a fruitcake business. Lesa Hall, a Jamaican designer of luxury maternity clothes and former beauty queen, recently posted on Instagram an ice-cream cone 鈥� with a 24-karat-gold-leaf on top.

Chanel Ayan, a breezy Kenyan-born model who overcame prejudices in the UAE to walk for top-tier European fashion houses, is now developing a makeup line. She described herself in an interview with the AP as 鈥渙utgoing, funny, crazy and insanely hot.鈥�

Like American stars of the franchise, the women in Dubai are not housewives in the traditional sense but rather socialite business owners trying to define their brands. And Dubai, a city ceaselessly trying to market itself on the world stage, provides a fitting backdrop.

With zero income taxes, gleaming skyscrapers and countless malls, the emirate was engineered to be a global destination for the ultra-wealthy. Fortune-seekers, rich and poor, flock to Dubai from around the world, including migrant laborers from South Asia, Africa and the Philippines who work long hours for low pay. The franchise, however, takes as its focus just a tiny subset of wealthy womanhood.

The cast members described Dubai as a Westernized playground where women are free to have fun and do what they want.

鈥淵ou have glitz, you have glamor, you have fashion,鈥� Stanbury said, cradling her black Pomeranian named Taz against her sequined Prada crop top. On her coffee table was F. Scott Fitzgerald鈥檚 鈥淭he Beautiful and Damned.鈥�

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 understand how much it鈥檚 worth to live in a country like this,鈥� she added.

But in the UAE, women are legally obligated to obey their husbands under the nation鈥檚 Islamic law. Despite major legal changes, cursing, drinking and kissing in public can still land you in trouble. Homosexuality remains forbidden, as does crossdressing. Authorities stamp out hints of political dissent.

Executives insisted that the UAE鈥檚 traditional values and speech restrictions, which had long hampered the oil-rich country鈥檚 efforts to become a regional entertainment hub, did not hold the housewives back.

Fans can still expect alcohol-soaked gatherings and dramatic confrontations, said Sezin Cavusoglu, the Bravo executive in charge of the series. But there will be no drink-throwing, table-flipping, hair-pulling or otherwise ostentatious fighting in public.

鈥淭hey live there. They know what鈥檚 acceptable, and what鈥檚 not acceptable,鈥� Cavusoglu said. 鈥淭hey still gave us amazing content just by being who they are and having really honest and difficult conversations.鈥�

Dubai鈥檚 government-run media office did not respond to AP requests for comment. Dubai鈥檚 Tourism Board and Film Commission approved the series and facilitated its production.

That鈥檚 already a stark shift from over a decade ago, when the Dubai government cited moral concerns in rejecting the producers of the 鈥淪ex and the City鈥� movie sequel.

Not everyone in the UAE is glad of the 鈥淩eal Housewives鈥� limelight. Aghast at the foul-mouthed, bikini-clad women in the trailer, Emirati social media influencer Majid Alamry lambasted the series on Instagram last week.

鈥淲e are a tolerant country, but that does not mean that others can walk all over our morals,鈥� he said in a viral clip. Local media also profiled more-down-to-earth homemakers in the UAE who were 鈥渄emanding a more accurate representation.鈥�

But the reality franchise always was escapist fare, cast and executives say, split off from the reality of ordinary viewers.

鈥淚t鈥檚 meant to be just entertainment,鈥� Stanbury said from her pristine kitchen, where on a clear day she can see elephants stalking a nature preserve and the world鈥檚 tallest tower rising over the desert. 鈥淵ou guys get insight into all of our crazy lives.鈥�

鈥擨sabel Debre, The Associated Press