Abu Dhabi TV's al-Oula Channel is set to air a new hard-hitting Syrian drama al-Muftah [“The Key”], starting Wednesday January 8. The series, directed by Hisham Sharbatji and written by Khaled Khalifa, features a number of top Syrian actors, including Bassem Yakhour, Amel Arafa, Salma al-Masry, Shukran Murtaji, Dima al-Jundi, Ahmed al-Ahmed, Dima Kandalaft, Kamar Khalaf and Khaled al-Kaish, among others. The 30-episode drama series delves into the subject of corruption, its effects on the various classes within Syrian society and the abuse of laws with no regard for their ethical underpinnings. On the making of the series, director Sharbatji said: "I suffered more doing this work than any other. I didn't expect a contemporary social exploration to be as exhausting as, say, a costume drama." "Things went alright, in the end, thank God," he added. The Key will be shown on al-Oula Saturday to Wednesday at 1700 hrs UAE time.