Netflix’s second Jordanian original series premiered worldwide on 12 August 2021. AlRawabi School for Girls was created by Tima Shomali, runs two seasons and 12 episodes, and does something the platform’s teen output rarely attempts: it puts a full female cast inside an all-girls private school and lets them be cruel to each other.
It is the second Jordanian Netflix original series after Jinn. The show closed its second season on 15 February 2024. It is a drama about bullying, and it earns the label.
Trailer, via Netflix.
Mariam, Sarah, and Two Seasons of Revenge
Season one follows Mariam, a teenager bullied by girls at her elite private school. She plans revenge with her friends, and the plan goes wrong in ways she did not intend. The season splits its attention between two sets of high school friends to show parts of school life that rarely make it to screen.
Season two resets. It is set in a new school year with mostly new characters. Sarah now carries the story, facing similar challenges with bullies and changing friendship groups at AlRawabi. The second season pushes into cyberbullying, stalking, and the dangers of social media.
Shomali built the series with writer Shirin Kamal. They cast new faces and let the actors choose the characters they wanted to play. That decision shows on screen.
What AlRawabi Actually Puts on Screen
The show reflects patriarchy, corrupt school systems, bullying, mental health issues, religion, sexual assault, reputation, and the tradition of honour killings. That is a long list, and AlRawabi does not treat any of it as decoration.
Every episode in both seasons ends with a message pointing viewers to sources they can call for help. The issues named include bullying, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts.
That choice matters more than it sounds. A teen drama that names a problem and then hands the audience a phone number is doing work most shows leave to a website nobody visits.
The Cast Carrying AlRawabi School for Girls
Tara Abboud plays Sarah. Sarah Yousef plays Tasneem. Tara Atalla plays Nadeen. Kira Yaghnam plays Hiba. Thalia Elansari plays Shams. Raneem Haitham plays Farah.
The ensemble is young and largely unknown, which is the point. There is no star to protect, no established persona to write around. The school feels like a school.
Season One Against Season Two
| Season 1 | Season 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Premiere | 12 August 2021 | 15 February 2024 |
| Lead | Mariam | Sarah |
| Cast | Original ensemble | Mostly new characters |
| Setting | One school year | A new school year |
| Focus | Bullying, revenge, honour killings | Cyberbullying, stalking, social media |
| Structure | Two sets of friends | One central arc |
The table shows the real risk in this show. Season two is a rebuild, and rebuilds lose people.
Why the Second Season Holds
Reviewer Calum Cooper argues the second season keeps the show’s thematic richness and adds something. “Where season one was a story of how young women in the Arabic region suffer under patriarchy, through loss of morality or straight up murder, season two is an impassioned call for solidarity.”
That is the sharpest read available on what changed. Season one is about what is done to these girls. Season two is about what they can do for each other. The shift from suffering to solidarity is the show’s actual growth.
The Case for Watching AlRawabi School for Girls
Start with season one. It sets the terms: the elite private school, the girls who run it, the outcast who decides to hit back. Then watch season two for the argument it makes about social media and stalking.
The show was announced as a miniseries. In May 2022 it was renewed for a second season. Filming wrapped in May 2023.
- Season one — the revenge plot, the honour killing thread, the two friend groups.
- Season two — Sarah, cyberbullying, stalking, the social media warning.
- The episode-end messages — the resources that close every episode in both seasons.
That order works because season one teaches you the rules of AlRawabi, and season two tests whether the school can be survived rather than escaped.
Where the Show Slips
The second season’s new cast changes the show’s shape. The first season’s two friend groups gave the show a wider frame, and the tighter focus on Sarah narrows what the audience sees of the school.
The show also carries a lot of weight. Patriarchy, corrupt institutions, bullying, mental health, religion, sexual assault, reputation, honour killings. Twelve episodes across two seasons is not much room. Some threads get named and then dropped.
The Verdict on AlRawabi School for Girls
AlRawabi School for Girls does the thing teen television usually avoids. It treats its audience as capable of handling honour killings, sexual assault, and suicidal thoughts. The message cards at the close of every episode are the clearest sign of that respect.
Cooper’s line about solidarity is the right frame. Season one shows young women suffering under a system. Season two shows them deciding to stand together inside it. That is a harder story to tell and a more useful one.
The weaknesses are real. The reset changed the show’s original ensemble, and the second season’s list of themes is long. But the ambition is consistent.
AlRawabi School for Girls scores 7.5 of 10.
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