Quest Arabiya sports series goes into production

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Quest Arabiya’s new flagship adventure-travel show Nabd Al Moghamara – Arabic for ‘Pulse for Adventure’ – is now being shot in locations across the region, from the Maghreb to the Levant. The show will be hosted by extreme sports enthusiasts, Hussein Gazzazz and Ghida Arnaout, and is scheduled to air for the first time on March 13, 2016. Quest Arabiya, a division of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, is a free-to-air, factual entertainment Arabic TV channel, launched in December, 2015 in association with Discovery Communications.

“The launch of Nabd Al Moghamara, our first of many regionally-produced, long-form flagship series, will take the channel – that has already been embraced by viewers in 22 countries – to an exciting new level and demonstrate our commitment to creating original Arabic content,” says Carl Von Doussa, General Manager, Quest Arabiya. “We are looking forward to highlighting the incredible, natural landscapes throughout the Middle East and North Africa and showcasing the region’s diversity and talent.”

Sheen El Meligi, Programming Director, Quest Aribiya, adds “Nabd Al Moghamara is set to showcase some great stories of personal endeavour and achievement, but it is also an example of our commitment to providing opportunities for the production industry in the region. We are happy to be working with regional producers, crew and talent on this exciting show.”

 

PRCA MENA launches

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The Public Relations Consultants Association Middle East and North Africa (PRCA MENA) has launched in Dubai. The new professional body will cover the entire MENA region, providing PR practitioners with an association to share best practice as well as network and work to raise standards of PR. The organisation will provide training, networking, market intelligence and an international network through the International Communications Consultancy Organisation.
PRCA MENA will be co-chaired by MENA PR industry leaders Loretta Ahmed, CEO Middle East, Grayling and Mohamed Al Ayed, CEO, TRACCS. Founding members include MENA consultancies Golin MENA, Memac Ogilvy, Fleishman Europe, Q Communications, MCS Action, Sept PR, Active and Instinctif.

Sharjah forms Strategic Partnerships

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The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has forged a number of partnerships in order to draw attention to the cultural enrichment of Sharjah. Through these partnerships, SCCI will collaborate with Twitter, Forbes Middle East, Brag Events and Careem in order to raise awareness of the Emirate as a destination for entrepreneurs as well as established businesses.

“Sharjah’s strength has always come from the people who share a love for the city, so it’s only natural that we continue to encourage business opportunities and economic growth as we strive to build the next entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Emirate,” says Sara Al Madani, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry Board Member and Member of the ShjSeen Board of Trustees. “This is the first time a Government organisation in Sharjah has partnered with a company like Twitter. Having the best online engagement ranks high on our strategy and our partnerships with Twitter, Careem, Brag and Forbes will give us the means to share with the world what Sharjah fans already know.”

Kinda Ibrahim, Director of Media Partnerships, Twitter, adds “We are excited to work with the Chamber of Commerce to leverage Twitter’s real time, conversational and public network. This partnership will help the Chamber of Commerce connect with people in the UAE and across the world, as well as highlight Sharjah as a centre of excellence for business in the UAE.”

UM MENA releases media trends report 2016

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UM MENA has released a 2016 media trends report, NEXT THING NOW, for the region. Set to become an annual fixture, the report highlights yearly trends specific to the MENA region and UM’s view of where the market is heading towards on various themes in the industry. Written by UM MENA’s media specialists, the report also features input from professionals at Coca-Cola, Google, DMS and Yahoo! It will be distributed to UM MENA clients and publishing partners around the region and will also be available online through the agency’s website by Q2 of this year.

“The report echoes the views of our media experts at UM as well as the direction in which our company is heading in the coming years when it comes to media planning and marketing solutions for our clients,” says Chris Skinner, CEO, UM MENA. “There is a definite shift in the industry but by thinking forward and adapting our approach to the future trends we can achieve maximum impact and ROI. NEXT THING NOW will provide you with necessary insights and the way forward for you as a marketer and a media professional.”

The Fashion Hub gets new look

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UAE-based fashion website The Fashion Hub (TFH) has expanded its offices into London and re-launched its digital platform with a new look. The new website will act as a virtual panel that voices the non-linear market of fashion, art and lifestyle, with a more digitalised and interactive format. Having previously worked with worldwide brands such as Harvey Nichols London, Selfridges and Canon, the digital publication will now be welcoming new contributors to the site.

“It was time to take the next step, to become more digitalised, to have richer content, it’s been for years and we knew the timing was right,” says Parisa Birgani, Founder and Editor, The Fashion Hub. “We know our readers so well, because we are both our own readers. There was such a gap in the market for something like TFH, a platform that didn’t focus on the commercial, but focused on the non-liner, and we’re both so happy to shine a light on that part of the industry, and to broaden peoples minds about it, especially in the Middle East.”

Lydia Birgani, Co-Founder, The Fashion Hub, adds “We’ve now constructed a more interactive platform which helps engage and interconnect different ideologies, regions. Opening an office in London has allowed us to target our European readers more and it’s a very exciting chapter for TFH.

Cannes Lions makes changes to 2016 awards

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The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced changes to the 2016 awards which will see the Press Lions become the Print and Publishing Lions and Digital Craft split from the Cyber and Mobile Lions. The Digital Craft Lions will celebrate the creative skills and digital craftsmanship behind content including the quality of design, the technical execution and the overall experience across all digital platforms and devices.

“The Press Lions is an award that’s been with us since 1992,” says Simon Cook, Director of Awards, Lions Festivals. “By renaming it the Print & Publishing Lions, we are evolving the category, just as the print and publishing world itself is evolving, to recognise other forms of publishing, along with best uses of press and interactive press.”

Terry Savage, Chairman, Lions Festivals, adds “The Cyber and Mobile Lions juries have told us that with more and more UX and Craft focused entries, it is necessary to have experts in this field sitting on the jury. We’ve chosen to split it out so that this specialist area can have its own dedicated jury, which will also make the hugely labour intensive Cyber Lions judging much more manageable going forward.”

alpha gets a makeover

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Men’s lifestyle magazine alpha has been given a new look and more compact page size. The title, published by GN Publishing, also boasts several new sections and contributions from a host of new writers covering topics from celebrities to reportage to grooming and fitness. The redesign is a result of research into the magazine’s reader profile as well as readers feedback, and the new-look January issue is now available from leading retailers priced at AED 15.
“alpha is now enjoying its fifth year and we felt it was time to freshen up some of the content and give it a new look,” says Nitin Nair, Editor, alpha. “From January, readers can expect a much fuller magazine, with plenty of ‘how-to’ sections, additional UAE content, plus we’ve recruited a handful of exciting new writers who will complement the existing line-up. We’re sure our regular readers and people who have never read the magazine before will love it.”

FIPP MENA announces guest speaker

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Samir Husni has been announced as a guest speaker at FIPP Middle East & Africa (MENA), presenting a masterclass entitled ‘How to make print work in a digital age’. Samir is the Founder and Director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi’s Meek School of Journalism and New Media, he is often known as ‘Mr Magazine’ – a title for which he owns the trademark. In his masterclass, he will share his thoughts on how to secure a print future in the digital age.
FIPP MENA will be taking place from February 10 – 11, 2016, at the Habtoor Grand Beach Resort in Dubai and registration is now open. The event’s programme brings together international, regional and local speakers from inside the magazine media and related industries, who will provide delegates with a view on key developments and trends globally and in the MENA region specifically.

Equestrio Arabia to increase number of issues

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High-end luxury lifestyle publication Equestrio Arabia will increase its frequency to eight issues per year, as of 2016. The magazine, which focusses on the equestrian world, was previously published over six issues annually and is available in two editions covering three continents – Europe, America and Arabia. The first issue of 2016 will feature international polo, a preview of The World Cup Carnival at Meydan and the works of photographer Dorte Tuladhars.

1971 and –ING to host Contemporary Heritage

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1971 Design Space and -ING creative community have teamed up to host a one day event under the title Contemporary Heritage on January 23, 2016 at the 1971 Design Space, The Flag Island, Sharjah. International and local creative leaders will gather to discuss what heritage is and what their views are on implementing it within their work through a program of talks, workshops and a creative panel. Speakers confirmed for the event include Australian Artist and Designer Gemma O’Brian who specialises in lettering, illustration and typography and Verena Michelitsch, an Austrian Graphic Designer and Illustrator.