Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Grass Valley To Power Saudi Broadcasting Authority's Makkah Broadcast Facility with Next-Generation Technology

06/05/2025

Saudi Broadcasting Authority selects Grass Valley to upgrade its Makkah site with state-of-the-art production solutions

MONTREAL, CANADA - May 07, 2025 - Grass Valley, the media and entertainment industry's leading technology innovator, is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA) to provide a major technology upgrade for its broadcast facility at the holy city of Makkah (also known as Mecca). Delivered in partnership with First Gulf Company (FGC), the new installation marks a significant leap forward for SBA's live production capabilities, particularly in supporting round-the-clock online broadcasts from the Grand Mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Haram).

SBA is the Saudi state broadcasting body that provides high-quality news, cultural, and entertainment programming to domestic and international audiences, and its facility at Makkah is a primary hub for live religious event coverage. The latest deployment is part of a long-term SBA project to upgrade its broadcasting capabilities with more robust, scalable, state-of-the-art systems to deliver world-class media content across radio, television, and digital platforms.

Grass Valley systems and equipment were chosen for the project following extensive planning and coordination and were delivered in December with installation currently being carried out by integration partner FGC. SBA chose Grass Valley for its proven broadcast technology, reliability, and seamless integration, explained Joe Chbat, Executive Vice President at FGC. The solution ensures high-quality video switching, scalable infrastructure, and efficient signal processing which are critical for SBA's current and future broadcasting needs. Grass Valley's strong track record in the region, alongside its renowned long-term support and competitive pricing, made it the ideal technical partner for a project of such importance.

The new system is based on 12G technology and offers significantly higher capacity, improved performance, and futureproofing for SBA's growing high-quality and high-definition production needs.

The installation includes the Kayenne K-Frame XP Standard (main switcher) 3ME System with K-Frame XP ELITE Performance Suite software and 12G License, with a Kayenne K-Frame XP Compact as a secondary switcher; a Sirius 850 Dual Frame (2x 34RU) router; several Densit -configured Kaleido Modular Frames; Densit glue systems (including audio and audio processing in 12G); the XIP 3911: Agile SDI/IP Processing Platform; and a Masterpiece 12G-SDI Master Control Switcher.

This project has been years in the making, and we're proud to be a collaborative, enabling partner of SBA's growth journey, said Hany Bartella, VP of Sales for MEA at Grass Valley. The deployment of the Kayenne switcher, Sirius 850 Router, and Densit processing at the Makkah facility enhances live production capabilities for a location of immense global significance. These state-of-the-art solutions from Grass Valley will modernize SBA's infrastructure and enable it to fully realize its commitment to delivering world-class religious and cultural programming both now and into the future.

This landmark deployment is the latest example of Grass Valley's growing footprint in the Middle East region, and executives from the company will be on hand at CABSAT - Dubai World Trade Centre, 13-15 May, booth S1-H10 - to demonstrate how the products and solutions of the GV Media Universe are pushing the boundaries of live production for organizations around the world.

#####

About Grass Valley

Grass Valley empowers over 90% of the world's top media brands to create and deliver compelling stories that captivate audiences. At the heart of its solutions is the GV Media Universe (GVMU), combining advanced hardware solutions, with the agility, elasticity, and adaptability of the AMPP Media Operating System. Together, they form a seamless, scalable ecosystem for efficient and innovative workflows.

With a portfolio spanning from camera to consumer, Grass Valley provides the flexibility to build solutions for every need: from a single creative harnessing immense production power to globally distributed teams collaborating seamlessly. This breadth of capability enables customers to craft efficient workflows that inspire and engage their audiences.

With over 65 years of expertise, Grass Valley has consistently driven the evolution of live content creation and storytelling. Headquartered in Montreal and supported by Black Dragon Capital, the company remains dedicated to shaping and leading the media revolution.
LINK: https://www.grassvalley.com/press-release/grass-valley-to-power-saudi-...
See more stories from grassvalley

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

17/03/2026

FCC Announces TV Translator Call Sign Changes

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

17/03/2026

2026 NAB Show Offering Free Show Floor Passes to Creators

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

17/03/2026

QuickLink's Latest StudioEdge Models to Make North American Debut at NAB 202

QuickLink's Latest StudioEdge Models to Make North American Debut at NAB 202 Brie Clayton March 16, 2026 0 Comments The Multi-platform Remote Gues...

17/03/2026

Frankenstein Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio

Frankenstein Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton March 16, 2026 0 Comments Sonnenfeld enhances the controlled interplay between warm and c...

17/03/2026

New Voyavox from Link Electronics with Real-Time Speech-to-Text Captioning to be Featured in NAB Booth #W2910

New Voyavox from Link Electronics with Real-Time Speech-to-Text Captioning to be...

17/03/2026

Berklee City Music Stewards META Fellowship Supporting Massachusetts Music Educators

Berklee City Music Stewards META Fellowship Supporting Massachusetts Music Educa...

16/03/2026

DAZN to Stream NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tourneys Free in Select International Markets

DAZN will allow fans in select international territories to watch the NCAA men&#...

16/03/2026

IDM and Skate Board Association Announce Arena and Training Complex Planned for Big Bear Lake

IDM and The Skate Board Association (SBA) have announced a partnership with Coop...

16/03/2026

NAB 2026: Solid State Logic Introduces ST 2110-to-Dante Converter

Solid State Logic (SSL) will debut the Net I/O ST 2110 Bridge at NAB 2026 (booth C6907), a standalone unit that converts between ST 2110 and Dante audio formats...

16/03/2026

NAB 2026: Marshall Electronics Launches First 4K All-IP Weatherproof NDI Camera

Marshall Electronics (Booth C8339) is introducing its first all-IP 4K POV camera, the CV574-WP, at NAB 2026. The camera carries an IP67 weatherproof rating for ...

16/03/2026

Sony Expands Camera Authenticity Solution to Support Video

Sony Electronics' Camera Verify (beta), a feature of its Camera Authenticity Solution which enables news organizations to share content authenticity informa...

16/03/2026

FloSports and Storied Sports Partner on Women's and College Sports Content

FloSports has announced a partnership with Storied Sports, a content and IP studio founded by former espnW and The Players' Tribune executives, to develop s...

16/03/2026

Montreux Jazz Festival Names Gravity Media as A/V Production Provider

Montreux Jazz Festival has announced a multi-year collaboration with Gravity Media, who will become the Festival's Audio Visual Production Provider followin...

16/03/2026

USSI Global Names Ralph Annunziata Senior Vice President of Operations

USSI Global, a provider of customized network, broadcast and digital signage systems and services, has announced Ralph Annunziata joined the company on Jan. 5 a...

16/03/2026

NAB 2026: Boland Communications to Show New OLED Displays and Video Wall Applications

Boland Communications (booth C3519) will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 in Las Vegas, ...

16/03/2026

ST 2110 On The Go? A Peek Inside BRISK, FOX Sports' Broadcast Remote IP Studio Kit

Built in partnership with Diversified, the system As the sports broadcast indus...

16/03/2026

Amagi Report: FAST Viewership Up 21%, AI Adoption Growing Across Media Operations

Global FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) viewership grew 21% year-over-year ...

16/03/2026

Behind The Mic: Netflix, NBC Tap Matt Vasgersian to Call MLB and Tony Dungy Is Out at NBC

Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...

16/03/2026

Cloudvocal launch the SonoFlex instrument mic

Promises studio-grade fidelity for the stage Cloudvocal have announced the launch of a new instrument mic designed for professional live performers and engi...

16/03/2026

Kenton reveal the USB Solo Mk2

Popular MIDI/CV converter & interface overhauled Kenton have announced the launch of the USB Solo Mk2, a new and improved version of their compact MIDI to C...

16/03/2026

Sonarworks Spring Sale

Running from 16-29 March 2026 Starting from today (16 March) and running until 29 March 2026, Sonarworks are offering discounts of up to 40% across their ra...

16/03/2026

L3Harris Carries Goddard's Legacy Into a New Era

Dr. Robert H. Goddard and a liquid oxygen-gasoline rocket in the frame from which it was fired on March 16, 1926, at Auburn, Massachusetts. Credit: NASA....

16/03/2026

L3Harris Military GPS Receiver Deliveries Surpass 100,000 Units

Precision-guided munitions shown in production illustrate one of many operational systems benefiting from modernized M-Code GPS, supporting assured positioning,...

16/03/2026

A+E Global Media Signs New Multiyear Deal With Nielsen Covering Audience Measurement and Media Intelligence

NEW YORK - March 16, 2026 - A E Global Media and Nielsen today announced a new,...

16/03/2026

aconnic ramping up delivery of commercial 100-gigabit system

aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, is delivering the first commercial 100-Gigabit systems following successful validation and certification for customer n...

16/03/2026

Spectrum Launches Multiview for March Madness

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/03/2026

Ikegami To Spotlight Latest UNICAM 4K-UHD Cameras At 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/03/2026

A+E Global Media Signs New Agreement With Nielsen

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/03/2026

Shotoku Brings Broadcast-Grade Control to PTZ with New Au...

Shotoku USA, Shotoku Broadcast Systems' North American operation, will unveil significant additions to its platform at NAB 2026. Topping the list is the wor...

16/03/2026

Ikegami to Showcase Latest Generation TV Production Camer...

Ikegami USA will demonstrate the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast-quality cameras, controllers and monitors on Central Hall booth C3819 during th...

16/03/2026

[Updated] Carr Threatens Broadcast Licenses Over Iran War Coverage

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

16/03/2026

ELEMENTS launches GRID at NAB Show 2026

ELEMENTS launches GRID at NAB Show 2026 Brie Clayton March 15, 2026 0 Comments North Hall, Booth N1717 ELEMENTS returns to NAB Show 2026, with an exp...

16/03/2026

Blackmagic Design Cameras Capture Artist Salavat Fidai's Micro Sculptures

Blackmagic Design Cameras Capture Artist Salavat Fidai's Micro Sculptures Brie Clayton March 15, 2026 0 Comments 6K sensor and open gate capabilit...

16/03/2026

DHD to Introduce Latest Generation Broadcast Audio Mixers at NAB 2026, Las Vegas

DHD to Introduce Latest Generation Broadcast Audio Mixers at NAB 2026, Las Vegas Brie Clayton March 15, 2026 0 Comments Hero image: Front of DHD RM1 P...

16/03/2026

VEON Files its 2025 Annual Report on Form 20-F

16 Mar 2026 VEON Files its 2025 Annual Report on Form 20-F Dubai and New York, March 16, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON'...

16/03/2026

Sky Commissions The 100 Day Split, A New Relationship Series Exploring What Time Apart Reveals About Lifelong Love

Six Couples. 100 Days Apart. One Question: Does Absence Make the Heart Grow Fond...

16/03/2026

Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan and Riz Ahmed announced as first three hosts of Saturday Night Live UK

Monday 16 March 2026 Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan and Riz Ahmed announced as first th...

16/03/2026

Netflix Has Released the Trailer for 'Love at Last,' Starring Eda Ece and Kaan Yildirim

Back to All News Netflix Has Released the Trailer for Love at Last, Starring Ed...

16/03/2026

All UK national newspapers move to private circulation reporting while remaining audited by ABC

The reporting option was introduced following extensive consultation with publis...

16/03/2026

Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins wins Dancing with the Stars 2026

After a nail-biting Grand Finale, Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins has been announced as the winner of Dancing with the Stars 2026. The four finalists each dance...

16/03/2026

New RT series Welcome to Moore Street gives a glimpse into life on iconic Dublin street

Welcome to Moore Street will begin on RT One and RT Player on Thursday 19 Marc...

15/03/2026

Visit ToolsOnAir at NAB Las Vegas 2026

Visit ToolsOnAir at NAB Las Vegas 2026 More Details:From April 19-22, join us at NAB Show Las Vegas in the North Hall, Booth N1258, for an exclusive preview of...

15/03/2026

Outland III from The Very Loud Indeed Co.

Latest dark drama, thrillers & tension library announced The Very Loud Indeed Co.'s latest Kontakt library has just arrived, delivering a third instalme...

15/03/2026

19TH ANNUAL SOUTH AFRICAN FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS (SAFTAs) CELEBRATED THE BEST OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY

Johannesburg, 14 March 2026 - On 13 and 14 March 2026, the 19th Annual South Afr...