Global entertainment icon Will Smith will attend the Middle East premiere of National Geographic’s highly anticipated original series Pole to Pole with Will Smith at SEE Institute, the region’s first net-zero emissions building located within The Sustainable City Dubai on 9 January 2026.
The Middle East premiere will feature a Hollywood-style red carpet experience. The evening will include a private screening of an episode from the series, followed by a live Q and A with Will Smith alongside the explorers and scientists behind the project, offering audiences an insider perspective on the exploration, discoveries and human stories at the heart of the series.
Five years in the making, Pole to Pole with Will Smith is a seven-part cinematic docuseries that follows Smith on an extraordinary journey across all seven continents, from the ice fields of Antarctica to the jungles of the Amazon, the mountains of the Himalayas, the deserts of Africa, the islands of the Pacific and the icebergs of the Arctic. Inspired by his late mentor to explore life’s biggest questions, Smith pushes his mental and physical resilience to the limits across a 100 day expedition that includes skiing to the South Pole, diving beneath the ice of the North Pole, and venturing deep into some of the planet’s most extreme environments.
“This journey was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. There were moments when I was genuinely shook and wondered if I was going to make it home. But it became far more than a physical adventure. It’s an exploration of our planet’s outer edges and of the remarkable people who call those places home,” said Smith. “From scuba diving beneath the coldest ice into the deepest jungles, the swirl of danger and beauty inspired every step I took, filling me with awe, humility, and hope.”
Told with the scale, access and authenticity only National Geographic can deliver, the series blends cutting edge science, environmental storytelling and bold exploration. Guided by scientists, explorers and local experts, Smith helps uncover world first scientific discoveries while forging powerful human connections with communities whose knowledge and resilience offer vital lessons about our shared future on Earth. Defined by endurance, wonder and hope, Pole to Pole with Will Smith is an epic global undertaking.
The premiere is presented in partnership with The Sustainable City, one of the world’s leading sustainable urban developments, reflecting the series’ core themes of environmental stewardship, resilience and innovation. Recognized globally as a pioneering model for sustainable urban living, The Sustainable City is designed around a holistic sustainability framework that integrates environmental, social and economic pillars. It minimizes environmental impact while enhancing quality of life and long-term economic value through renewable energy, biodiversity protection, circular economy practices and inclusive community wellbeing, positioning it as a global reference point for sustainable.
Hosting the premiere within this setting underscores the shared values between Pole to Pole and The Sustainable City: a commitment to protecting the planet, advancing scientific understanding and inspiring collective action for a more sustainable future.
“Pole to Pole is a powerful reminder that the future of our planet depends on the choices we make today. We have spent years in The Sustainable City proving that sustainability is not a single solution, but a way of life that integrates environmental responsibility, social wellbeing and economic resilience into a single living model. Hosting the Middle East premier of Pole to Pole at The Sustainable City reflects a shared belief that storytelling can inspire real change, said Faris Saeed. “This series powerfully connects science, human resilience, and environmental responsibility, values which are embedded in everything we do.”
Pole to Pole with Will Smith premieres on National Geographic on January 13 at 8:00pm (UAE), and on National Geographic Abu Dhabi on January 14 at 9:00pm (UAE), available on du and Etisalat. It will stream exclusively on Disney+ on January 14.
The series is produced by Westbrook Studios, Nutopia and Protozoa for National Geographic. Will Smith serves as host and executive producer.
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