Analysis Tech Reality still beats deepfake technology … for now Technology experts are confident that artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes will not dominate or replace human talent. “It sounds tremendously fake, even when it sounds ‘real’,” Ahmad Haffar, the voice behind Dubai Metro and managing partner at Mindloop Studios, told AGBI. Deepfakes are manipulated videos, images or audio recordings created using AI. They are increasingly commonplace in […] January 7, 2024
Media & Advertising Coming to a movie theatre near you … AlUla It would make the perfect setting for Star Wars or Indiana Jones, but AlUla is developing production facilities that will expand its reach beyond sci-fi and desert adventure movies, making it one of the region’s prime locations for international shoots. The tourist location in northwest Saudi Arabia is fast developing into a mini-city with an […] December 24, 2023
Media & Advertising In the streaming age, the TV stays on after Ramadan YouTube creators and streaming services are changing the face of television all over the world – but particularly in Arab countries, according to executives who attended the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah this month. The entertainment industry in the Middle East traditionally focused on the fasting month, when TV shows could find a captive […] December 18, 2023
Tech Middle East hit by wave of brand impersonation scams Cybersecurity experts in the Middle East are warning of a rise in brand impersonation attacks which persuade unsuspecting consumers to part with sensitive information. International Holding Company, a global investor based in Abu Dhabi, said in a disclosure to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange last week that scammers are using the company’s name and logo […] December 18, 2023
Media & Advertising Modern Saudi gets its close-up at Jeddah film festival The new Saudi Arabia seen on screen at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah is barely recognisable from the country where religious mores prevented the mingling of unrelated men and women, and suspicions of foreigners cast a long shadow. Among the stories being told at this month’s festival are those of a young […] December 18, 2023
Media & Advertising Saudi’s MBC Group prices IPO at top of the range Strong investor demand has led Saudi media company MBC Group to price its initial public offering (IPO) at SAR25 per share, the top of a range published earlier this month. The price implies a market capitalisation of SAR8.3 billion ($2.2 billion) at listing, said IPO manager HSBC in a filing to the Saudi Stock Exchange […] December 12, 2023
People & Lifestyle Saudi film festival showcases growing movie industry The third Red Sea Film Festival kicked off in Jeddah last week, highlighting the city’s rejuvenation as part of Saudi Arabia’s economic reform plans and rapid growth of its movie industry. Stars including Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Sharon Stone, Catherine Deneuve and a coterie of Saudi directors and actors graced the red carpet for gala […] December 4, 2023
People & Lifestyle MBC Group sets price range for IPO on Tadawul Saudi Arabian media giant MBC Group is planning to raise as much as SAR831 million ($222 million) from the sale of a 10 percent stake on the Saudi stock exchange (Tadawul) after disclosing an indicative price range. The price range was set between SAR23 ($6.13) and SAR25 per share, the company said in a statement, […] December 1, 2023
Retail Tihama shareholders to vote on rescue for Saudi media group Shareholders in the loss-making media group that operates WH Smith shops in Saudi Arabia are to vote on a rescue plan next month. Tihama Advertising and Public Relations Company said its “financial reorganisation proposal under the Saudi bankruptcy rules” would be put to shareholders on December 18. The meeting will be overseen by Osama Al […] November 27, 2023
Media & Advertising More deals likely to follow OSN+ and Anghami merger The merger last week between OSN+ and Anghami will lead to more consolidation in the region’s streaming sector, industry experts have said. Kuwait’s Kipco-Panther Media Group, which operates as OSN, will combine its streaming service OSN+ with Anghami’s music and entertainment business to create one of the Middle East’s largest streaming platforms. The Europe, Middle […] November 27, 2023
Video length: 0:57 AGBI AI EVENT Tech AI ‘not just a problem-solving tool’ for journalists Journalists must embrace artificial intelligence technologies in their day-to-day work, according to a panel of leading experts during a session hosted by AGBI at the Global Media Congress. “AI is not just a tool for problem-solving or generating the next stories but it also allows the development of new creative skill sets,” said Professor Neil […] November 23, 2023
Media & Advertising UK regulator likely to review Telegraph bid Lucy Frazer, UK secretary of state for culture media and sport, has written to an Abu Dhabi-backed consortium warning that that she is likely to subject its bid for a leading British newspaper group to a public interest test. RedBird IMI, led by Jeff Zucker, a former president of CNN, has submitted a bid for […] November 23, 2023
Media & Advertising Saudi media company MBC Group to float 10% in IPO Saudi media major MBC Group plans to launch an initial public offering (IPO) on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul). The announcement comes after the Capital Market Authority (CMA) approved the company’s plan to offer 33.25 million ordinary shares, representing 10 percent of its share capital. The offering price will be determined at the end of the […] November 22, 2023
Media & Advertising OSN+ and Anghami merge in $50m streaming service deal Middle East streaming service OSN is set to invest $50 million in music streamer Anghami as part of a deal to merge the two companies. Kuwait’s Kipco-Panther Media Group, which operates as OSN, will combine its streaming service OSN+ with Anghami’s music and entertainment business to create one of the Middle East’s largest streaming platforms. […] November 21, 2023
Opinion Media & Advertising The cringeworthy vocabulary of Biznese How words are over-used and abused in corporate communications November 17, 2023
Opinion Media & Advertising Ad agency mergers show industry model in flux Merging brands is seen as the way to service clients in an era of digital specialisation November 7, 2023
Media & Advertising Saudi advertising major in $270m pursuit of rival The Saudi advertising giant Arabian Contracting Services is pursuing the acquisition of its Riyadh-based rival Faden Media, in a deal worth more than SAR1 billion ($270 million). The company, also known as Al Arabia, said in a filing to the Saudi Stock Exchange that it is now working to complete the takeover within six months, […] November 1, 2023
Video length: 07:09 Video Media & Advertising AGBI gets seen and heard on Dubai Eye AGBI made its debut on Dubai Eye radio where Editor-in-Chief James Drummond talked about Saudi Arabia’s civil nuclear ambitions. This is the first in a regular slot on the Business Breakfast show where we examine the top stories. Watch our first show now. October 12, 2023
Opinion Media & Advertising Advertisers, don’t forget the Gen X factor Gen X is responsible for 27% of global spending and its earnings are growing October 10, 2023
People & Lifestyle Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan collects $16m at UAE box office Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan’s latest action-packed movie “Jawan” has become the first Indian film to cross the $16 million collection in the Middle East, the movie makers said in a post on social media. The film was produced by Yash Raj Films, a film production and distribution company in India, The movie, released worldwide on September […] October 8, 2023
Opinion Media & Advertising Daily Telegraph bidders line up at the ‘Gulf ATM’ It would be a brave man to predict with any degree of certainty who will win the Torygraph September 29, 2023
Analysis Tourism Lights, camera, action: RAK seeks leading role in film tourism The UAE is no stranger to the silver screen, whether it be Tom Cruise dangling perilously from Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in Mission Impossible blockbuster Ghost Protocol, or Vin Diesel powering his $3 million supercar from one Etihad Tower in Abu Dhabi to the next in the seventh iteration of the Fast and Furious franchise. Ras […] September 24, 2023