Over the last decade, Dubai has successfully reinvented itself as a production and media hub, according to Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City's MD Jamal Al Sharif (pictured).
Speaking at the IBC Content Everywhere Europe Hub during IBC2014, Al Sharif explained that TECOM Investments, owner of Dubai Media City, has played a big role in Dubai's knowledge-based economy strategy over the past decade.
Our strategy has been aligned with that of the Dubai government, moving from the oil-based economy of 1966 to a diversified economy, he explained. Dubai Internet City opened in 2000 and TECOM Investments has played a large role in Dubai's strategy since then, helping decrease our dependency on oil.
Al Sharif noted that the digital world has expanded rapidly in the Middle East. 135 million individuals are using the internet in 22 Arab countries and 71 million are using social networks actively, so there is a big appetite for such content, he said. In the long run, events like Dubai Expo 2020 and the Olympics 2016 in Brazil will play a big role in further content requirement.
Making the most of Dubai's geographical location is key to Al Sharif, who describes it as only eight hours away from the vibrant markets of North Africa, Asia and Europe. TECOM Investments plays a big role in attracting international business partners and organisations to choose Dubai as a hub, he said.
The 9 TECOM free zone business parks cover four clusters, ICT, media, education and science. We have attracted over 5,000 companies in 10 years and cover nearly 1 billion square feet of land area, covering around 30 per cent market share of commercial space, said Al Sharif. The free zone benefits include tax free, foreign ownership, no custom duties, no restrictions on capital and profits, it's an attractive model for ICT and media.
He notes this is crucial to Dubai's economy, to make business easier for foreign companies through help with licensing or real estate facilities among other things. The regulatory part is very important and we had to adjust policies and regulations to accommodate the media business and ICT and to develop the industry.
Dubai Media City was the first of the three TECOM media brand initiatives, started in 2000. Dubai Studio City was then launched in 2005, followed by the International Media Production Zone which focuses more on print media, newspapers and magazines not just for e-market, but global markets outside of Dubai.
Some of the top media companies who chose Dubai as a location to expand their businesses include the ITP Publishing Group, Forbes, McGraw-Hill on the publishing front, BBC, OSN, MBC, CCTV, CN, CNN on the broadcast front and Endemol and MediaPro on the production front.
Dubai's government wanted to develop this initiative further and support media content developers in the Middle East, explained Al Sharif. There's a big thirst for content creation in the Arab world and more particularly in the Arabic language.
To address the demand for content in the Arab language, the Dubai Film and TV Commission was launched in 2012 to attract film and TV content to the Middle East and especially to Dubai, by providing incentives and funding and acting as a one-stop shop' to reduce the cost of media production in the region.
Mission Impossible 4 was one of the latest film productions that happened in Dubai in early 2010, followed by many Bollywood films as well, explained Al Sharif who is also the chairman of the Dubai Film and TV Commission. In addition, the launch of our 15 square foot sound stage in Dubai Studio City, including the large green-screen initiative in partnership with MBC and Stargate, also attracted a lot of Middle Eastern TV makers from Egypt, Lebanon and Syria.
He also noted the big role played by the Dubai International Film Festival in the past decade in distributing this content not only in the Middle East but internationally. We celebrated our 10th edition last year with 174 films, with participation from over 57 countries in 43 languages.
Addressing wider Middle East media trends, Al Sharif noted that the use of social media by the youth of the Middle East splits at 45 per cent in Arabic and 48 per cent in English.
A lot of Turkish content is being dubbed to Arabic and shown in the Middle East, driven by this demand from the young and by social media, he concluded. Half of the population in the Middle East is below the age of 25, so the thirst for content on social media is aggressive, especially around news and current affairs.
Positioning Dubai as a leading media hub and production destination is going to be key in the long run, according to Al Sharif, particularly to address content demands around Expo 2020 in Dubai and the Brazil 2016 Olympics.
The UAE ranks number one in smartphone penetration, people walk around with two or three phones, said Al Sharif who notes that the expanding digital world in the Middle East involves 135 million individuals using the internet in 22 Arab countries, with 71 million using social networks actively.
There is a big thirst for content, the penetration of the internet in our region is high and we know that 14.5 million hours per day are spent viewing YouTube channels in the Middle East, he added. Despite all of this, we lack in content production compared to other markets, therefore there is a need for ecosystems to promote local content.
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
NEW YORK CBS has declared that it will finish the 2023-24 season as Americas Most-Watched Network in primetime for the 16th consecutive season....
03/05/2024
A new survey indicates that U.S. businesses and consumers had an overall positive attitude towards their technology spending plans in the first quarter of 2024,...
03/05/2024
Sony and Apollo Global Management have sent an offer letter to Paramount Global's board of directors making an $26 billion all cash offer for Paramount Glob...
03/05/2024
EMG / Gravity Media has appointed Charlie Cubbon chief operating officer (COO) and Jamie Hindhaugh regional CEO for the U.K., U.S., Australia and the Middle Eas...
03/05/2024
Final 2024 Season Games to Air Saturdays on WRAL at 10:30am in May, Championship on June 1
Taping for the final episodes of the 2024 season of WRAL-TV's Br...
03/05/2024
Estrella MediaCo said it is expanding its connected TV portfolio by launching three new channels with Curiosity that will first appear on Samsung TV Plus....
Over the last decade, Dubai has successfully reinvented itself as a production and media hub, according to Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City's MD Jamal Al Sharif (pictured).
