National Geographic Abu Dhabi has just released the highlights of its 2016 grid, as recent viewership figures show the channel moving from strength to strength.

Whilst the Arabic-language station of the globally acclaimed channel has seen the growth of its audience hit new highs, its grid is poised to retain some of the currently running favourite series, adding exciting new ones for 2016. The new daily fare will ensure a full range of factual entertainment for every audience, with all the new series premièred as the year progresses, between 18:00hrs and midnight (UAE).

Highlights of the new series include:

Destination Wild – every Thursday @ 20:00 (UAE)

• Wild Colombia
  Starts 7^th January, 3 episodes on air for 3 weeks

Synopsis:Crowning South America, Colombia touches both the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. Sitting on the equator, this wild and exotic land is divided by the soaring peaks of the Andes and carved by the mighty Amazon and Orinoco Rivers. Colombia’s landscapes are vast and hugely diverse. Mangroves meander through grasslands, while expanses of mirror-like wetlands fringe verdant rainforests. Snow-capped peaks emerge from mountain slopes clad in misty cloud forests. This mix of pristine environments supports an enormous wealth of unique plants, as well as an extraordinary array of spectacular creatures.

• Japan’s Wild Year
  Starts 7^th January, 3 episodes on air for 3 weeks

Synopsis:Japan is synonymous with crowded high tech cities. In fact around three-quarters of Japan is uninhabited forests, mountains and coast lines. Here a great diversity of wildlife ekes out an existence adapted to a country with great extremes of climate. From the tropics in the south to the sub-arctic climate of Hokkaido island. From the northernmost primates in the world, the snow monkeys, bears, giant hornets and the weird goat-antelope serow, to the iconic red-headed crane and the abundant cherry salmon, the life blood of Japanese rivers.

Culinary Block – every Thursday & Friday @ 18:00 (UAE – new timings)

• Eat Street S5
  Starts 7^th January, 26x30min episodes on air Thursdays for 13 weeks

Synopsis: Eat Street shows a lip-smacking celebration of North America’s tastiest, messiest and most irresistible street food. From Tijuana-style tacos served out of an Airstream trailer and pizzas baked in a brick oven on wheels to classic dogs with all the fixins and sirloin burgers slathered in bacon jam — food cart fare is the hottest trend going. The stars of the show are the vendors — food mavericks with creative takes on mobile meals and inspiring stories to tell. Seeking out the very best curbside eats all over North America, Eat Street is your grease-stained roadmap.

• Street Food Around The World S1
  Starts 8^th January, 13x30min episodes on air Fridays for 7 weeks

Synopsis:From eye to hand to mouth we invite you into the kitchens of the streets, markets and alleyways. Join us on a journey following street food around the world roadmap to the ultimate street food experience.

New Series

• Filthy Riches S1
  Starts 3^rdJanuary, 8x60min episodes on air Sundays for 13 weeks

Synopsis:From the great white north to the dirty south, the heartland to the Wild West — in every nook and corner of the country, Industrious and ingenious Americans are proving they’re still not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get their hands DIRTY earning a living off the land. Dealing in diverse commodities and methods of harvest that range from the unexpected, to the outright outrageous, one thing remains the same  they’re all cashing in big in the process!

• Inside The American Mob
  Starts 4^th January, 6x60min episodes on air Mondays for 7 weeks
  Premieres in Action Slot

Synopsis:Delve into the secret underworld of the American Mafia, as told by the criminals who lived it and the law enforcers who hunted it. This dramatic six-part series chronicles the true-life story of the modern Mob in America, as former mobsters, informants, and FBI agents expose the takedown of the deadliest and most infamous organized crime ring in U.S. history.

• Bridge The Gap + Kid Nomad: Mongolia
  Starts 5^th January, 4x60min episodes on air Tuesdays for 4 weeks

Synopsis:Join Global Explorer, Chris Bashinelli, on an introspective adventure across continents. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Chris Bashinelli (The Sopranos, HBO) gave up his acting career to pursue his real passion- using media to bridge intercultural gaps around the world. In this new series, featured on National PBS television, Bashinelli traverses the globe to discover what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes for one day.

• Animals Gone Wild S1
  Starts 4^th January, 6x60min episodes on air Mondays for 6 weeks
  Features in Wildlife slot

Synopsis:From the heart stopping to the simply outrageous we bring you the most jaw dropping moments in Animals Gone Wild. It’s the roughest and rowdiest animals moments in Disorderly Conduct. Creatures cheating death and defying laws of nature in Crazy Close Calls. Stranger than fiction brawls, love connections and match ups in Bizarre Encounters. Massive attacks and savage instincts keep us rolling in Off the Wall.

• The Big Picture With Kal Penn
  Starts 20^th January, 12x30min episodes on air Wednesdays for 6 weeks

Synopsis:The Big Picture with Kal Penn is a new series  that uses data and mapping to make powerful connections and visualize our world in amazing new ways.  Hosted by Kal Penn, each episode will uncover surprising facts on a topic (like technology, money, food, crime or sports) and generate maps and other visuals to help us understand “the big picture.”  The series reveals how our world works, how we got here, and even where we’re headed – while exploring powerful stories from the real people and communities behind the data.

Meanwhile, continuing series will feature audience favourites, such as the 4^th season of Wicked Tuna, and the ongoing 1^st season of Building Wild. The channel will also feature repeats of National Geographic classic shows at 18:00hrs (6pm) UAE time, as well as strips of Ultimate Survival – Alaska and seasons 2 and 3 of Brain Games during weekdays at 19:00hrs (7pm) UAE time.

The Wildlife slot will feature three new series at 20:00hrs (8pm) UAE time, with strong repeats of wildlife and natural history shows.

Of note, National Geographic Abu Dhabi will also repeat the acclaimed Air Crash investigation series at 22:45hrs (10:45pm) UAE time on weekdays throughout January.

Building on such a stellar program, further additions to the grid will be announced throughout the year.