Majid Al Futtaim has opened its first hybrid cinema and family entertainment centre in the United Arab Emirates at Wafi City. The entertainment hub spans two floors and comprises Vox Cinemas integrated with Magic Planet.
Vox Cinemas Wafi City offers a cinematic experience and owns the first Samsung Onyx screen in the United Arab Emirates. The 15-screen multiplex also features advanced audio-visual technology and a variety of Vox Cinemas’ signature concepts including KIDS, a colourful and dedicated auditorium for young movie lovers, MAX, an auditorium with a mega screen and Dolby Atmos surround sound technology as well as a reimagined VIP experience with luxury seating and in-seat dining.
A wide variety of the latest video games, amusement rides, attractions and redemption games is available at Magic Planet, which features Bumper Cars, Drop ‘N Twist and Highway 66.
Speaking about the new launch, Ignace Lahoud, Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas and Majid Al Futtaim Leisure & Entertainment said: “We’re proud to collaborate with Wafi Group, which shares our vision for creating remarkable destinations and passion for excellence, to open our first hybrid cinema and family entertainment centre in the United Arab Emirates. Today’s customers are looking for more engaging and immersive ways to spend time with family and friends and, at Majid Al Futtaim, we are committed to staying ahead of the curve and finding innovative new ways to exceed evolving expectations. Vox Cinemas and Magic Planet at Wafi City have been designed as a holistic concept seamlessly integrating two recreational functions into one enriched experience and we’re very excited to welcome new guests and create great moments together.”
Sheikh Ahmed bin Mana bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Deputy Chairman of Wafi Group added: “Majid Al Futtaim is synonymous with customer-focused and innovative experiences and, we are excited to partner with them to launch this world-class entertainment destination, which offers an exciting selection of immersive attractions for the whole family to enjoy. Vox Cinemas Wafi City takes the cinematic experience to the next level with a unique offering that goes beyond customers’ expectations and features the ultimate VIP experience.”
Vox Cinemas now has 22 cinemas and 237 screens across the UAE. In March, Majid Al Futtaim opened a Vox Cinemas and Magic Planet at City Centre Al Zahia in Sharjah. The launch marked the fifth cinema opening across the region in the wake of Covid-19 and, later this month, Vox Cinemas will open three multiplexes across Saudi Arabia and Bahrain as part of its ambitious expansion plans.
Vox Cinemas and Magic Planet at Wafi City have opened in compliance with government guidelines with the social distancing rules.
The global SVOD subscriptions will hit 1.5bn in the next five years. The subscriptions for 138 countries will increase by 591m, or 65%, between 2020 and 2026, according to the latest report by Digital TV Research.
The report identifies 2020 as the peak year for new subscribers, when 201m users were added.
According to the report, SVOD subscriptions growth is faster than for SVOD subscribers. This means that the average SVOD subscriber will pay for 2.14 SVOD subscriptions by 2026 – up from 1.74 in 2020.
Commenting on the findings of the report, Simon Murray, Principal Analyst at Digital TV Research, said: “There will be 700m SVOD subscribers by 2026; up by 35% from 518m at end-2020. The 2026 total represents 39% of TV households, increasing from 30% in 2020”.
The US will overtake China as the subscription leader in 2021. The two countries will together account for 48% of the global total by 2026, down from 59% in 2020. This indicates that other countries are growing faster. SVOD subscriptions in India will nearly triple between 2020 and 2026 to 155m – representing 10% of the world’s total.
Saudi Arabian media mogul Sheikh Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Chairman of MBC Group, has received the King Abdulaziz Order of Merit for his success in the media and broadcasting world.
MBC was the first pan-Arab free-to-air satellite TV network when it was launched in 1991 by Al-Ibrahim as a single channel out of London. He was still in his twenties when he founded MBC. It aimed to provide a view of the world ‘through Arabian eyes’. Now, MBC is one of the biggest media broadcasting stations in the Arab world. It includes movie, TV show, and children channels such as MBC 2, MBC 3, MBC 4 and MBC Action. Al Ibrahim launched Al Arabiya in 2003, a free-to-air television news channel based in Dubai.
Al-Ibrahim is widely recognised for his contributions in the field of Arab media. He was among the top 20 prominent Gulf businessmen according to Amwal magazine in 2005. In 2007, he was chosen as the 27th most influential Arab among 100 Arab personalities by Arabian Business. He was named the ‘Media Man of the Year’ at the fourth MENA Cristal Awards held in Lebanon in 2008. In 2011, he was chosen among the top 50 figures in MENA’s media, marketing and advertising industry. Al Ibrahim was also named as the world’s 66th most influential Arab personality by Gulf News in 2012, while Arabian Business named him as the world’s 24th most influential Arab among 500 others in 2012. He also received other awards, including the “Knight” award from the Arab League in 2006 and the “Innovator of the Year” award from Arabian Business.
The King Abdulaziz Order of Merit is a medal awarded to citizens of Saudi Arabia and foreigners for meritorious service to Saudi Arabia. It is considered the highest civilian honour in the Kingdom.
Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa FZE (PMMAF) has announced that its latest Android TV models GX655, HX750 and HX650, now feature MBC’s OTT platform, Shahid. Existing users will be able to find the app either through their launch screen or May download it through Google Play.
With the addition of the Shahid app, consumers buying the Panasonic latest model will get access to a wide range of exclusive and diverse content made in the region.
Commenting on the availability of Shahid App, Dipendu Goon, Audio-Video General Manager, Panasonic Marketing Middle East and Africa (PMMAF) said: “At Panasonic, we are driven by the vision of making lives of our consumers smarter, and strive to become their preferred partner in their lifestyle choices. More and more consumers in the region prefer watching shows on larger screens and mirror their OTT app from phone to smart TVs. Keeping this in mind, we have introduced our new range of Android TVs that bring all aspects of TV viewing for existing and new subscriber’s of the Shahid platform.”
OSN has announced an Arabic entertainment line-up for Eid Al Fitr, which includes the launch of ‘Howa w Heya’, a pop-up channel combining all iconic on-screen duos of Egyptian cinema over the past fifty years including Egyptian megastar Adel Imam’s popular movies and much more. The network is set to air 30+ classic films from May 13 until June 5.
The line-up includes the 1967 family comedy Maa’boudat Al-Gamahir, where Shadia and Abdel Halim Hafiz come together in the story of a diva who falls in love with a rising actor and faces the wrath of a jealous producer when she decides to marry. Plus, 2004 thriller/drama Tito, where Egyptian star Ahmad Al Sakka plays a criminal whom, after spending many years in a correctional facility for murdering a police officer, is released; will love, and physician Nour (played by Hanan Turk) be enough to save him?
It will also air the Omar & Salma trilogy, with the first production released in 2007. Also, in celebration of Egyptian megastar Adel Imam’s birthday on May 17, a special selection of his top movies is scheduled back-to-back from 00:00 to 24:00 GMT.
Howa w Heya will be live from May 13 at 9:00 KSA until June 5, 21:00 KSA, and is available for OSN Home Plus, Platinum and Premier subscribers.
OSN Yahala Al Oula will air its first original Arabic Syrian psychological thriller Qayd Majhoul from May 13 until May 24. Two parallel stories inevitably connect by the end of the season, as the series highlights the investigations of two high-profile murder cases, led by police major Khaldoun, a sharp and meticulous investigator.
The second season of OSN originals’ Yalla Net’asha 2 (the Middle Eastern version of Come Dine with Me) will return on screen weekly from Sunday to Thursday with a new group of contestants every week until June 24, 18:00 KSA. Filmed in the UAE, where a different group of four strangers take turns every week to host a dinner party at their home, with the other guests rating the evening out of ten.
The new season of the Turkish series Ta’er Al Sabah will air from May 16 until June 20 and Al Kha’en’s on May 16. Gulf drama series Bayt Al Thill, a 2021 production, will also air on May 16 at 20:00 KSA in a special Ramadan repeat.
On the second day of Eid Al Fitr, expected to fall on May 14, the dubbed Arabic version of Oscar-winning Pixar animation Soul, a 2020 production starring Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey and Graham Norton, will air at 21:00 KSA on OSN Yahala Cinema under the name Moghamara Thatiya.
Airing exclusively on OSN on the first day of Eid Al Fitr on May 13 at 21:00 KSA is the 2020 Egyptian thriller Zinzana 7, starring Nedal Al-Shafeay, Ahmed Zaher, Maya Nasry, Menna Fadaly, Ehab Fahmy and Abir Sabri.
Palestinian drama 200 Meters is a depiction of daily life in the Occupied Territories is set to air on the third day of Eid Al Fitr – expected to fall on May 15 – at 21:00 KSA.
Shahid VIP has announced its Eid al-Fitr line-up which includes Khaleeji live music, pan-Arab drama, comedy titles, international productions, and Egyptian classics.
Held in partnership with the Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and Rotana, MBC Group will present its latest series on exclusive online Eid concerts featuring some of the GCC’s and Arab world’s biggest stars.
Kicking off the festivities is Majed Al Mohandes on May 13, followed by Rashid Al Majid on May 14. Rounding up the series is Mohammed Abdo on May 15.
All three shows will stream on their respective days from 10 PM KSA.
Also, Egyptian production Madraset el-Moshaghbeen is coming to screens in full colour for the very first time, starting from the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
Debuting on May 13 is the Shahid VIP exclusive premiere, Beit Bu Sanad, a GCC social comedy play about the lead character, Bousanad and his family. An average middle-class man, Bousanad’s life turns upside down when he loses his memory… through recovery, he gets to discover a very different side to his family.
Another premiere is Wanted, which will stream on May 12. This Kuwaiti comedy is set within an embassy, where a number of different characters are trying to obtain an immigration visa.
Other shows include Seasons 1-7 of Once Upon a Time, Station 19, second spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy.
Shahid VIP rounds up its Eid holiday special with a selection of Hollywood titles, including The New Mutants, The Lion King, Tarzan 3D, La La Land, Oz the Great and Powerful, Maleficent, Saving Mr Banks, and Tron: Legacy.
In the coming next few months Shahid VIP will stream exclusive content from the GCC, Egypt, the wider pan-Arab region and more.
The UAE hosts a number of major sports events – Formula One, tennis championships, rugby sevens, and golf, football and cricket tournaments – to try to make the small Arab nation a big player on the world map. Now two combat sports have joined this list, thanks to the UAE Muay Thai and Kickboxing Federation (MKFED).
UAE MKFED has worked closely with Mohamad Yehya, a well-connected regional broadcast veteran and founder of IP Studios, a cross-platform media agency in Abu Dhabi that develops, produces and manages a wide range of sports productions, documentary films, short format content, motion graphics animation, and digital and branded entertainment.
The federation approached Yehya in 2019 with an ambitious project to bring muay Thai and kickboxing to Abu Dhabi, with the aim of making the UAE the new home of the two combat sports and creating an entire ecosystem for them to flourish.
Mohamad Yehya (r) in the OB van with Roland Daou (l), Managing Partner of Media Mania, for the coverage of a big muay Thai fight night in Dubai.
“We have a young audience here that doesn’t particularly watch traditional sport,” says the soft-spoken Yehya. “And if you look at all the statistics with regard to sport today, combat sports seem to be getting a lot of eyeballs.”
He takes us through some impressive figures that show how well combat sports are faring in comparison to traditional sport. The WWE in 2019 topped the charts with 14.6bn video views, followed by the NBA and the NFL. Singapore-based ONE Championship had 5.6bn views, with UFC in fifth position with 3.8bn video views. Closer to home, the UFC championship in Abu Dhabi during the 2020 pandemic drew 1.3m viewers and made $78m in TV rights revenues.
In Tokyo, a big muay Thai and kickboxing event attracted 85m global viewers in 145 countries. Perhaps the biggest was the Floyd Mayweather versus Conor McGregor fight in 2017, which had a whopping 6.7m pay-per-view buys generating more than $700m in revenue.
With so many big numbers, Yehya is sure that if they do it right, the UAE can also capitalise on the potential of these two sports. The team has a clear three-step plan.
“Step one was to get to know our audience, and this is where data came in. Step two was to turn our audience into fans, and this is where content creation was critical. To guarantee the sustainability of the growth of your audience, we needed to ensure we could continuously generate good content. The third step was to turn our fans into customers. The good thing about combat sports is that it has the ability to combine a mix of the actual physical sport and the entertainment element – making it ideal for showbiz.”
“Sports now is about creating experiences and promoting a certain lifestyle. We have created a fashion line with some international designers. Our retail store will open just after Ramadan at Khalidiya Mall in Abu Dhabi; we will have a retail outlet in Dubai also” – Mohamad Yehya, Founding Director, IP Studios
Demographics help. The GCC countries have an affluent native population, with a whopping 65% of people below the age of 35 – a generation of cord-nevers that have grown up with smart devices and have a penchant for gaming, combat sports and streaming entertainment.
Well-versed with the whole chain of action required to take a sport from concept to stadium, TV and OTT platforms, Yehya and his team worked in tandem with the UAE MKFED to develop a complete ecosystem, with a regular annual calendar of events to ensure that the right ambience is created to grow new talent, develop existing talent and create a new and growing fan base. For this, IP Studios collaborates with international partners like the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) in Thailand and the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO).
The Cruiserweight title fight between Egypt’s Medhat Shehabldin and the UAE’s Ibraheem El Hammadi, part of the February Muaythai Underground Series.
The aim is to develop and produce local matches that bring together regional and global fighting talent to provide a great on-site experience for fans, while also developing broadcast media rights opportunities, creating a dedicated streaming platform with a growing fan base and launching merchandise to ensure that the brand’s visibility is amplified by fans.
Yehya admits this project is the most ambitious he has ever undertaken and requires the combination of business, technical and strategic skills he has honed over the years in leadership roles at Abu Dhabi Media Company, as GM of Majid Entertainment, and as an active member of the sports media business. He promoted Arabian horse racing for more than a decade in elite circles, including Hollywood, and produced and developed falconry, camel racing and powerboat events, among others.
“My idea was to create a sport as entertainment, and it was inspired by the American way of promoting sports, whether it be the NFL or the NBA. They always add an element of entertainment along with the main sports event itself. We have tried to do the same and applied it to martial arts. It centres around all aspects of the game, including creating a whole lifestyle around it. We have created our first collection of merchandising and dedicated muay Thai outfits that will go on sale in our retail stores just after Ramadan.”
Yehya has deep insights about the local market, and the backing of the UAE government.
“We have a lot of experience with cultural sports. Most people are focused on sports like football, which already have a well-established framework and you have to play by the book. There is very little room for innovation, while in lesser-known sports there is an opportunity to improve on it.”
Yehya has done this before. While the world chased after thoroughbreds, his company helped launch the Global Arabian Horse Racing Conferences, supported by the His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival.
A photo opportunity with the referees of the big fights.
“We wanted to bring Arabian horses back to the frontlines. We travelled around the world for this, doing conferences in Berlin, Rome, London, Texas and so on, where we educated and informed people about the Arabian horses. Alongside this, we did the actual racing events and also managed and produced three award ceremonies at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, just after the Oscars in Beverly Hills. By taking it to that level, we were able to put Arabian horse racing back on the map. We broadcast it live through more than 10 TV channels and had big celebrities from Hollywood join us.”
Rather than take traditional Arab sports to the world, however, this time Yehya envisions bringing two international sports to the UAE and engaging the nation’s youth.
“We wanted to make these stories part of the local set-up and align our sports strategy with the UAE government’s vision, which is quite unique in our region. Elsewhere, regions undertake such projects purely from a commercial point of view. The UAE wants to invest in its youth. We hosted a couple of big events and included two of the biggest championships in this field. One was the Asian Cup in Abu Dhabi in December 2019, where 300 athletes came to be a part of this championship. We also organised the IFMA Muaythai World Championship, with expected participation from more than 800 athletes around the world. It was initially meant to happen in June 2020, but with Covid it has been postponed to later this year.”
HE Abdulla Al Neyadi, President of UAE MKFED, with Yehya, who was honoured by Dr Sakchye Tapsuwan (r), President of the IFMA, for successfully hosting the Asian Championship in the UAE.
One of the first things IP Studios did as part of this project was to create a commercial arm for the local federation.
“A commercial arm is more flexible in connecting and communicating with different parties and helps to collaborate with international parties. This is how we created the United Arab Muaythai (UAM) youth academy as part of the UAM brand, which also has a commercial/retail unit and an athletes’ management arm. Through this, we approach talent to come and sign up with us. It is in charge of creating championships and monetising the content and creating different revenue streams. It covers everything related to the legal and commercial aspects of the business. We as a company are in charge of managing this entity and creating the right image for these two sports in the region.”
“Most people are focused on sports like football, which already have a well-established framework and you have to play by the book. There is very little room for innovation, while in lesser-known sports there is an opportunity to improve on it” – Mohamad Yehya, Founding Director, IP Studios
Data is also an important aspect. According to Yehya, the formula for creating a successful project depends on a “combination of market data, content availability and striking the right partnerships” because it helps “grow the audience and move them to being fans and consumers”.
Face-off for the K1 Royal Battle at the Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi.
“Getting to know your audience and understanding who is interested in the game was hugely important for us from the start. We began by creating amateur championships. There are several training institutes and gyms involved in presenting these sports. So we got them to join us and bring along some of their top players. The local schools also have their own kickboxing teams.
“Our first couple of amateur events for the kids were so good. Our junior championships for 11- to 15-year-olds also got a tremendous response. Most would come with their families and friends, and it became a fun event. Interestingly, combat games instil a huge sense of discipline in young people and bring about a major personality change, so a lot of parents found this channelled their children’s energy in a positive direction.”
During three days of around 200 amateur and youth fights, there were also 10 to 12 rounds with professionals. “We had fighters joining us from different parts of Europe, Asia and other countries in the region. They were either fighting for a belt or for the main trophy.”
The team had a clear strategy in place, with specific timelines to hit each milestone. Creating an annual calendar was an important element of this strategy.
“To be part of a broadcast setup, we had to build our calendar to ensure we had enough events and fights. Once you create any championship, you have to build the momentum. We started creating the calendar, and then we reached a point where we had a good number. With professional championships, it was not just about bringing the audiences … it was also about bringing the whole package,” explains Yehya, adding that Covid has caused disruption.
But the team didn’t just rely on the actual fights. IP Studios used its production expertise to create additional content like training videos on how to be a muay Thai or kickboxing athlete. “This formula brought in more audiences and they become fans very quickly,” explains Yehya.
Mohamad Yehya with Tareq Al Muhairy (r), Executive Director of the UAE MKFED, official patron of muay Thai and kickboxing in the UAE.
In parallel, Yehya’s team also worked to create stars.
“To create loyal fans, you need to give them proper heroes and create a fan base. This is what we worked on. We produced our first Arabic language documentary on the ‘Tiger of the Ring’. It centres around one of the champions of the sport from the UAE who won the Intercontinental belt in the last event we did. It was so inspirational; we did a screening at the Emirates Palace auditorium. The main purpose was to highlight the work that goes into supporting the sports and to help the heroes.”
Then came monetisation. The team initially worked with local sports channels, but Yehya eventually decided he wanted to monetise these events properly. They stopped airing FTA and created their own platform.
“Our vision was to reach our audiences directly and have greater control over our data, and we couldn’t do that with FTA. So we created our own streaming platform. UAMpro is now available on the App Store, and at present we have around 13,000 downloads in just this market.
“This was the best decision we made. We worked with service providers in the region to create this platform, which is in both Arabic and English. We post a lot of content out there, including fights, training videos, VOD content, reviews and so on. We started with the free model and hoped to move to an SVOD model once we had the numbers. We even had a rich calendar, with some events being hosted outside the UAE in Amsterdam, Vegas, London, Thailand and Brazil. Sadly, Covid brought these plans to a temporary halt.”
Not one to give up, Yehya immediately brought forward plans to create a retail concept store, working with international designers.
“Sports now is about creating experiences and promoting a certain lifestyle. We have created a fashion line with some international designers. Our retail store will open just after Ramadan at Khalidiya Mall in Abu Dhabi; we will have one retail outlet in Dubai also. If you look at the numbers, you can see sportswear designed specifically for different sports. We are focused on the lifestyle part of this sport as well, and Covid-19 gave this a big push. That’s our strategy.”
But will that be enough? Yehya says the next big thing in sport seems to be betting. “Fans don’t just want to watch a game anymore. Engagement is critical. Sports betting would support the industry if it was brought in a legal manner and if it was in compliance with Shariah law.”
The K-1 Combat in Dubai for the WAKO Pro Intercontinental Light Heavyweight title between the UAE’s Ilyass Habibali and Ireland’s Damian Darker.
Yehya echoes the findings of a 2020 PwC sports survey. According to the report, betting and fantasy are predicted to become key industry drivers for the sports business in the next three to five years, with an anticipated yearly growth of 7.2%.
In the meantime, IP Studios has also finalised its first cartoon feature – the story of Shehab, a human kid and robot mix who uses the secrets of muay Thai that his coach shares with him to fight off robots. Yehya reckons it will be ready for release in time for the spring break.
Not to leave any stone unturned, the team is also exploring the potential of offering fans an Oculus VR experience on the streaming platform. And there’s more to come, says Yehya, with a mysterious smile.
VOX Cinemas, the dedicated arm of Majid Al Futtaim, has announced that Snow Cinema will return to Ski Dubai for the summer season. Launching May 10, the cinematic experience allows guests to watch movies surrounded by real snow on the slopes of Ski Resort.
Snow Cinema will host severalscreenings a day during the summer months. The movie line-up includes Raya and the Last Dragon, Tom & Jerry, Maya the Bee, Godzilla vs. Kong and Mortal Kombat. The new summer releases will also be added to the schedule.
Ticket prices for Snow Cinema start at AED 100 ($27.23) per person and include admission as well as an F&B package. For a more premium experience, guests can book the VIP chalet which caters for four people and includes a two-course meal.
Abu Dhabi-based Multiply Marketing Consultancy (MMC), a subsidiary of International Holding Company, has acquired a stake in Firefly, a street-level digital media platform which provides digital media on taxis and rideshare vehicles.
Firefly is backed by major investors such as Google Ventures, NFX, and Stanford University’s StartX Fund and operates across major US cities, working with taxi companies and rideshare drivers to install its proprietary advertising displays atop their vehicles. The proprietary screens feature content based on location, and are Internet-enabled.
This deal will expand Firefly’s operations into the Middle East for the very first time through a joint-venture office based within MMC’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
Samia Bouazza, Chief Executive Officer of Multiply Marketing Consultancy, said: “Firefly’s investment will bring more value to all advertisers seeking to personalise their messaging and hyper-target their audiences. Investments in our communications vertical ensure that our media teams are servicing our local clients with the latest, most innovative and analytically-precise technology available on the market.”
Firefly will become part of Multiply Group’s communications vertical, which includes global agency MMC, Viola, as well as other minority stakes in companies such as Yieldmo, a digital advertising and attention analytics company.
Gravity Media, a major provider of complex live broadcast facilities and production services to content owners, creators and distributors, has appointed Abdelkader Zitouni as its MENA advisor.
Abdelkader will be responsible for identifying and securing new commercial opportunities by leveraging his in-depth market knowledge and close personal relationships with key MENA broadcasters and content providers.
Prior to joining Gravity Media, Abdelkader was Director of Media Rights at the Qatar-based independent media network, beIN Media Group. There, he was responsible for the acquisition and management of key sports and entertainment properties and the development of strategic partnerships with major MENA content providers.
Speaking about the appointment, Steve Norris, Director of Production and Content at Gravity Media, said: “With 23 years of experience as a respected media executive under his belt, Abdelkader’s knowledge of sports and entertainment media in the Middle East is positively encyclopaedic. His expertise will prove invaluable as we continue to expand in this region”.
Ed Tischler, Managing Director of Gravity Media in EMEA, added: “Abdelkader’s passion for his work is clear, making him a perfect fit for Gravity Media. We’re delighted to have him on board as we continue to deliver a best-in-class experience for existing MENA clients, as well as developing and growing our business in the region.”
Abdelkader Zitouni commented: “I’m delighted to be joining such an innovative, future-looking business as Gravity Media. I look forward to working with the senior leadership team to uncover new commercial opportunities in this dynamic, rapidly developing region.”
Gravity Media serves the MENA region from its office in Qatar. It provides a range of services including equipment rental, stadium broadcast infrastructure and operates a compact and agile OB van with DSNG capabilities.
