| Kalam Nawaem | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Sweet Talk (English title) |
| Genre | Talk show |
| Presented by | Rania Barghout Frarah Besiso Heba Gamal Fawzia Salama |
| Country of origin | United Arab Emirates |
| Language(s) | Arabic |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 min |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | MBC |
Kalam Nawaem (Arabic: كلام نواعم, English: "Sweet Talk") is a one-hour, female-hosted Arabic talk show that airs late Sunday evenings on the satellite network MBC. It is credited with pushing social boundaries on Arab television. As of 2007, it was among the top 10 programs in the Arab world and commanded the highest ad rates on MBC.[1] In a notable 2011 episode, the program hosted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.[2][3]
The show's format was inspired by the American television series The View and features four female hosts of different ages, Arab nationalities and points of view.[4] The hosts are Egyptian journalist Fawzia Salama; Lebanese television personality Rania Barghout; Saudi Arabian fashion designer Heba Gamal; and Palestinian actress Farah Besiso. United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Muna AbuSulayman of Saudi Arabia hosted until 2007 and was replaced by Gamal.[5][6] Controversial topics of discussion have included homosexuality, gender equality, terrorism, masturbation, incest, sexual harassment, rape, child abuse, infidelity and divorce. The presenters also read correspondence from viewers. Parts of the show have been censored by MBC.[1]
Some of the women have also shared their personal lives with the audience. In one episode, Besiso's then-boyfriend proposed to her on the show, and later Besiso allowed the program to document her pregnancy and televise the birth of her child.[1]