Saffron Media launches Femina Middle East

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Saffron Media has announced the launch of Femina Middle East magazine. A woman’s fashion and lifestyle magazine, Femina is part of Worldwide Media, and falls under the umbrella of the Times of India Group. The launch party is scheduled to take place tonight at MusicHall, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, and Femina Middle East will hit the shelves on June 23, 2014, in all major retail outlets in the UAE, with a retail price of AED 15.

“Femina Middle East is all about the beautiful and enterprising women of the region, and the real women stories are going to be the core feature of the magazine,” says Tehrin Sheikh, Managing Editor, Femina Middle East. “We hope to bring to readers a magazine that is opulent, chic and inspiring.”

Sheikh Mohammed launches Arab Social Media Award

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His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, today launched the Arab Social Media Award. The award will highlight the most important social media initiatives in the Arab world and promote the best practices on social platforms and technologies at a ceremony that is to be held annually in Dubai.

Included are 20 categories covering social media activities and initiatives by individuals and organisations, as well as the title of ‘Social Media Personality of the Year’ for the region’s most influential online figure. Based on three main standards – communication, creativity and impact – the Arab Social Media Award will recognise communication within communities, tangible benefits for social development and the contribution of positivity to progress and prosperity.

The categories for the Arab Social Media Award are as follows: Government Entities, Private Sector, Blogs, Media, Sports, Tolerance, Social Service, Education, Youth, Technology, Entrepreneurship, Economy, Politics, Health, Arts, Security and Safety, Shopping, Environment, Tourism and Entertainment.

A committee of experts and sector specialists will evaluate applications and select the winner for each category, and individuals and organisations wishing to participate can nominate themselves or others on the award’s official website – www.arabsocialmediaaward.ae/arts. Results will be announced by the end of 2014.

Aquarius Magazine launches redesign

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Aquarius Magazine has undergone a full redesign and rebrand unveiled for this month’s June issue. In circulation since 2002, this is the first restructure of the women’s lifestyle magazine, and includes a new look, new logo and new attitude.

“While the title has always been very close to our hearts and a vital part of our portfolio, we wanted to offer readers a new and fresh look to compliment our new editorial attitude,” says Katie Heskett, Associate Publisher, Gulf News Magazines. “We have changed our focus to address all elements of a woman’s life – from careers and parenting to fashion and beauty, food and home. With so much more content on offer and various platforms that we are able to deliver it on – including our website, app, social media and monthly events – we wanted to have a fresher look that fitted a new era for the title.”

Louisa Wilkins, Editor of Aquarius Magazine adds, “Aquarius is such a well-loved and respected magazine with our readers. Our commitment to them remains our top priority, and this redesign and editorial direction will offer them even more great content and opportunities to engage with us. It’s amazing to see how the magazine has developed this year – we’ve done a lot of work and research with our readers to get this final results and the feedback from them has already been fantastic.”

Gulf News Publishing Director James Hewes further adds, “The magazine is one of the most important titles at Gulf News Magazines, and to see this exciting new direction is just one part of our ongoing development plans for our women’s lifestyle group.”

CNN International launches Future Finance

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CNN International has announced the launch of Future Finance, a new weekly segment showcasing future trends related to the global financial system that will feature in two of the network’s highest profile business shows – Quest Means Business and World Business Today. Future Finance will complement CNN’s business coverage by examining everything from a future without cash to high-speed trading that employs the power of laser beams.

Each month Nina Dos Santos will host a Future Finance 15-minute special programme highlighting the best in CNN’s series of short feature films, and offers global insight into what’s on the horizon at consumer and industry level. With stories from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas; Future Finance will be an opportunity to gain perspective on possible future trends related to all areas of global business innovation. The weekly reports began airing on June 3 2014, with CNN’s first instalment of its 15 minute programme launching June 25, at 10.45 BST / 11.45 CET.

A dedicated microsite www.CNN.com/FutureFinance will feature Future Finance reports and supplementary content such as digital explainers, info-graphics and analysis. The material will also appear and be promoted across other CNN business and news web pages.

Stylist to launch Middle East edition

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Arab Publishing Partners (APP), part of the ITP Group, has announced today a new licensing agreement with London-based Shortlist Media Ltd. The first brand under license will be fashion and lifestyle weekly Stylist, and is set to launch in the UAE in September 2014, introducing the ‘freemium’ magazine sector to the market.

Similar to its UK and French versions, the Arabia edition of Stylist will target cosmopolitan, urban professional women aged 20-40 years. Once launched, the magazine will be the highest circulated women’s weekly title in the market, with a print circulation of 50,000 across the UAE. The magazine will also be made available at five star hotels, airline business class lounges, spas, salons and universities, and will be sent direct to ITP’s extensive female database. An online edition of the magazine will be available from Apple iTunes, and the title will be BPA audited.

“Stylist has taken the UK by storm over the last four years,” says Tim Ewington, Co-Founder and International Director, Shortlist Media. “With our first overseas edition in France now firmly established we are thrilled to be launching into the dynamic Middle East market. We are delighted to be working with APP in the Gulf. They are experienced and professional operators – perfect partners to recreate the same impact that our brand has had in the UK and France in a new region.”

Ali Akawi, Managing Director of APP Group adds, “We are excited to see the APP Group further expand its portfolio and bring the first ‘freemium’ magazine to the Middle East. We look forward to building a large interactive community of readers and are confident we can replicate the success that the brand has had in the UK and France.”

Ziff Davis and T-Break Media launch AskMen ME

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Ziff Davis, the US-based digital media company, has announced an expanded licensing agreement with T-Break Media to publish men’s lifestyle portal, AskMen Middle East. Established in 1999, AskMen has become a global influence on men’s lifestyle matters, and the launch will combine content from AskMen’s worldwide network of contributors with locally created content specific for the Middle Eastern audience. The Middle East edition will initially be available in English, with Arabic content to be added in the near future, and will be available in more than 15 countries in the MENA region, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Egypt.

“Working with T-Break Media to launch the male lifestyle digital brand in the Middle East was a natural evolution of our successful partnership with them on IGN Middle East,” says Adam Doree, International Business Development Director, Ziff Davis. “There has never been a more exciting time for the AskMen brand, with several new international editions rolling out now, and all of them based on the widely celebrated re-imagined AskMen site which recently won Digiday’s ‘Best Design Award’.”

Nick Rego, Senior Editor of AskMen Middle East adds, “We are extremely excited to be launching AskMen in the Middle East. The male demographic in the region is know for having an appreciation for a premium lifestyle, and this passion aligns perfectly with the content featured on AskMen. Our goal is to be a one-stop source for men on all facets of their life – everything from taking care of their health to the latest fashion trends. We have a very exciting year ahead of us, and we are proud to be bringing our knowledge and expertise to a demographic that is constantly looking for ways to better themselves.”

EDGAR Daily launches online

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EDGAR Middle East has announced the launch of its online platform, www.EDGARdaily.com. With Neil Churchill as Online Editor, the digital arm of the men’s luxury lifestyle magazine will provide daily content on all the things people have come to recognise about the brand – from in-depth reportage features and exclusive interviews, to style tips and regular reviews of the latest cars, bars, spas and travel destinations.

“We are thrilled to have launched EDGARdaily.com,” says Matthew Priest, Editor-in-Chief, EDGAR Middle East.“The website not only allows us to provide our readers additional value along side the monthly magazine, but it also shows our commitment to the digital growth of the men’s lifestyle sector that the region is crying out for.”

Entourage launches campaign for students

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Entourage Marketing & Events has launched a campaign to help marketing students better understand the media industry in the UAE, and explain the practical uses of theories studied at university. The campaign, which will extend to universities across the UAE, will highlight and explore the opportunities of integrated communications in the Middle East. Entourage launched the campaign following a concern over the large gap between the expectations of students, the curriculums they study and what the Middle East industry really requires.

“It is extremely important that we help these students understand what the market expects of them, and to involve them in the industry even before they graduate,” says Mohammed Tayem, Managing Director, Entourage Marketing & Event. “The aim of this campaign is to provide a better understanding of the market, which helps students, but also helps us in the industry when students understand not only their role as marketeers, but how the different marketing tools work together.”

Hania Nashef, Assistant Professor at the American University of Sharjah adds, “I have indeed noticed that many of our students aren’t completely aware of what the market needs. For example, many of them underestimate the need for bilinguals and strong Arabic copywriters, although we reinforce it as professors. To have a professional working in the industry bring the picture into focus will be beneficial to our students, and it will create a solid foundation for fresh graduates.”

AP to launch research study at Arab Media Forum

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The Associated Press has announced the launch of its Middle East research study, outlining the changing demands for video news in the region and the impact on the news consumption habits of consumers. The Associated Press research findings will be announced at the Arab Media Forum on May 20, 2014.

The study, conducted by Deloitte, addresses questions around the news consumption habits of consumers in the Middle East, looking specifically at – who are the key consumer of news, how they access news coverage and how often, the consumption habits of different demographics, how and why the demand for video content is changing and how social media and mobile devices are impacting the trends.

Additionally, John Daniszewski, Vice President of International News at Associated Press will be hosting a session on ‘The Future of News in the Middle East’, showcasing his views from the perspective of an international news agency on the challenges that news gathering organisations face in light of recent trends, and the changing needs and behaviours of contemporary audiences within the region.

Sassy Mama to launch in Dubai

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Sassy Media Group, a digital marketing group targeted at women, has announced that it will be launching a Dubai version of the online parenting platform Sassy Mama, set to go live May 25, 2014. Following the launch of Sassy Mama Hong Kong in 2009 and Sassy Mama Singapore in 2013, the Dubai platform will provide a well-researched and trustworthy parenting site for the female community in Dubai who juggle kids, careers and family lives, directly from one source. Sassy Mama Dubai will bring the brands signature mix of helpful articles, covering health, eating out, shopping, schools, parent profiles, travel with and without the kids, and everything in between. There are currently over 40,000 members of the Sassy Mama brand, and over 300,000 site visitors each month in Hong Kong.

“We are so excited to be bringing Sassy Mama to Dubai – and judging by the response we’ve had so far we’re not the only ones,” says Kaya Scott, Co-Founder and Editor, Sassy Media Group. “Dubai is a fabulous city in which to be a mum and a woman and we aim to showcase the very best it has to offer, by unearthing all the fabulous secrets which make a city tick whilst also providing a valuable mum-friendly resource – a sort of little black book if you like!”