List of EastEnders characters introduced in 2018

Arshad Ahmed, played by Madhav Sharma, first appears in the episode broadcast on 1 January 2018, alongside his wife Mariam Ahmed (Indira Joshi). Arshad is the uncle of established character Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra). Arshad's final scenes aired on 1 November 2019.

Masood drives Mariam and Arshad to Albert Square so they can move into number 41, which he owns. They are horrified to witness an armed robbery and shooting, and Mariam insists that they leave, so Masood and Arshad start taking things back to the van but are confused when Mariam disappears and then insists on staying. Masood attempts to ask Arshad and Mariam about setting a rent payment date, and Arshad lends Masood money. Mariam and Arshad's foster daughter, Daisy (Amelie Smith), moves in. Masood looks after her but when he leaves the room, she disappears. The police are contacted, and in the search for Daisy, Masood's ice cream van is found and he is forced to reveal his lack of success to his family. Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) finds Daisy and returns her to the Ahmeds, but delays taking her back because Masood joked to him that Arshad and Mariam religiously brainwash children. The police are unimpressed and a report has to be filed about Daisy's disappearance, which Masood worries will harm his family's fostering. Masood then moves back into his own home but Arshad insists that he pays them rent, so he is outraged that they will essentially be living there rent-free. Masood gets a job in The Vic but tells his family that he is an estate agent. Arshad soon finds out that Masood is working in The Queen Vic but promises not to tell Mariam. When Daisy is due to be adopted by Dan and Ashley (Ifan Meredith and Ashley Cook), Mariam admits to Arshad that she struggles when their foster children leave, and she wants to give up fostering. Daisy is adopted and Arshad and Mariam wonder what they will do next. Arshad witnesses an argument between Martin Fowler (James Bye) and Stacey Fowler (Lacey Turner) in front of their children and tells them off for their "child abuse". Mariam and Arshad then agree to emergency foster a two-year-old child who has been physically abused. They also foster a baby, Harley, whose mother is a heroin addict. Arshad struggles to settle him but soon realises that grime music works. Harley is tracked down by his birth parents, Bijan and Chloe (Jonas Khan and Lauren Fitzpatrick), and Arshad learns of their identity from social services when Bijan breaks in to vandalise their CCTV. Harley is kidnapped by Bijan, who hides out in the Ahmeds' house, and Chloe, but he is returned to the Ahmeds after persuasion from Rainie Branning (Tanya Franks).

When Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) has toothache and unable to get an appointment with a dentist, Arshad arranges for Honey to see his foster son Adam Bateman (Stephen Rahman-Hughes) at a dental practice. After the appointment, Adam and Honey begin dating and Arshad suggests that Adam bring Honey and her children over for lunch one day to meet him and Miriam. However, Adam cheats on Honey with Arshad and Miriam's granddaughter Habiba Ahmed (Rukku Nahar) and Honey's ex-husband Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) witnesses them kissing and tells Arshad and Miriam. Despite Arshad proclaiming that Billy is lying and letting his emotions over the end of his marriage interfere with the relationship, both he and Miriam are shaken by the revelation, especially as Habiba has had a crush on Adam before. Miriam suggests that Arshad ignore it and assures him that she will deal with Habiba personally. After Honey provides Arshad and Mariam with travel vouchers, the pair leave Walford for a pilgrimage to Pakistan.

On 3 October 2017, it was announced that Ganatra had reprised his role, having departed the serial in 2016. It was also confirmed that members of the character's family would be introduced. The character and Sharma's casting was announced on 15 November. Arshad and Mariam are foster carers and Arshad is billed as "jovial and with an air of mischief". Arshad and Mariam move to Albert Square, the show's setting, to rent Masood's house after agreeing it will allow them more room for their foster care. A show spokesperson said that the character's introduction is "certainly not the hassle free move they were expecting", adding that they will become embroiled in other character's drama instantly. Sharma expressed his delight at joining the show's cast and playing Arshad. John Yorke, the show's executive consultant, stated he was overjoyed to introduce more characters from Masood's family and promised "some incredibly challenging, fun and exciting stories ahead" for them. He also confirmed that more members of the family would be introduced. Following the characters' arrival, Daisy, one of their foster children, is introduced. Daisy goes missing upon her arrival and a "frantic search" is launched that could provide a "potentially devastating setback" for Arshad and Mariam. Provided by Wikipedia