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Radio 1 and Radio 2 to return

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UAE-based radio stations Radio 1 and Radio 2 are set to return to the airwaves, after being closed by Gulf News Broadcasting on June 30, 2016. The stations will now be operated by Abu Dhabi Media Company – the licence holder for the stations – and will feature the same formats but with an updated look and feel.
“Abu Dhabi Media confirms that it will assume management of Radio 1 and Radio 2 at the end of July 2016,” says Abdul Rahman Awadh, Executive Director, Radio, Abu Dhabi Media. “The Radio stations were originally owned by Abu Dhabi Media and will continue to reflect Abu Dhabi Media’s ongoing commitment to providing diverse content that appeals to all aspects of society. Both radio stations will resume broadcast on the same frequencies, for which Abu Dhabi Media holds exclusive rights. We are currently investing in bringing new concepts and ideas to the content of Radio 1 and Radio 2.”

Anahata Dubai launches

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Freelance Writer and Digital Marketing Strategist Anna Sadeghpour has launched new community service blog, Anahata Dubai. Previously based in Australia, Anna has been involved in a number of charities, projects and initiatives including; Amnesty International, the Ras Al Khaimah Animal Welfare Centre and The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation. Her blog will cover all things related to community service in the Dubai – from advice on doing good every day, to promoting social impact events and campaigns taking place in the emirate, to featuring local change makers. Anahata Dubai‘s main aim is to inspire individuals living in the emirate to give back to the community.
“I’m a believer that every act of good, small or big, adds up to incredible change,” says Anna. “Through Anahata Dubai, I want to appeal to the hearts and minds of people in Dubai and inspire them to get involved and make a positive impact on society.”

phocal Media launches new image collection

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Dubai-based platform phocal Media has launched a new image collection, featuring African models, to help cater for local advertising agencies with clients in Africa. A regionally-authentic visual media specialist, phocal Media is currently best known for its arabianEye collection that covers the Arab world. The company also works with a portfolio of strategic international partners including Alamy, Splashnews, Reuters, and Magnum Photos. phocal’s new image collection has been launched with input from Onesizefitsnone, a platform aimed at helping marketers, brands and people understand Africa’s 54 unique countries, who assisted with art and cultural direction.

“We’re aware that an increasing number of advertising agencies in Dubai are picking up business in Africa but struggled to find relevant content for this growing market,” says Greg Aslangul, Managing Director, phocal Media. “We’re always gathering feedback from the local creative community and having seen Onesizefitsnone present at the Dubai Lynx in March, this further highlighted the lack of authentic, relevant content when it comes to African imagery. We’ve started producing content for the Nigerian market and, based on the response, we will look to create further shoots for the Kenyan and Tanzanian markets.”

Inc. Arabia launches

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Inc. Arabia, the regional edition of Inc. magazine, has launched. Focussing on growing companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the magazine aims to offer news, advice and inspiration to those involved in the new economy, such as CEOs and venture capitalists as well as student entrepreneurs and startup employees. Inc. Arabia‘s editorial content will fit into six sections; LAUNCH, BUILD, LEAD, INNOVATE, TECH and MONEY, with each covering different stages of business growth.

The first edition of the monthly magazine is currently on news stands at a price of AED 15 and its first phase of circulation, approximately 15,000 copies, is being distributed across the UAE as well as in Kuwait and Qatar. The publication will eventually also be distributed in the Levant as well as Egypt, before finally expanding into Saudi Arabia and the rest of the GCC region.

“The Middle East and North Africa is on the cusp of an entrepreneurial breakout and, as such, we feel that our timing to come to this market has been on the money,” says Ankush Chibber, Managing Editor, Inc. Arabia. “Having said that, we will be honest and humble in our approach, with an aim to be a crucial part of this growing ecosystem. We don’t want to be just a magazine, but a platform where all the stakeholders in the ecosystem come together and are able to exchange and validate ideas, insights, strategies and achievements using our print, digital and event channels.”

Forever Sports Middle East launches

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Forever Sports Middle East has launched in Dubai. The regional edition of the dedicated monthly sports and lifestyle publication, originally from Haymarket publishing in the UK, will be published in Dubai by White Fox Publishing. Aimed at the region’s male, 18–40 year old audience, the title will cover all things sports as well as subjects ranging from technology through to fashion and grooming.

The title will be available in both English and Arabic and will have an initial print run of 20,000 copies across the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Forever Sports Middle East will be available in sports retail outlets and superstores, as well as sports bars and clubs, for AED15.

“We offer our readers a variety of content that no other magazine delivers, from mainstream sports such as football, athletics, cricket, tennis and boxing, to increasingly popular American sports such as American football and basketball,” says Noel Ebdon, Editor in Chief, Forever Sports Middle East. “Interviews with all of the biggest personalities are crucial in our editorial mix – with personality being the operative word here – we’re not interested in media-trained bores. The first few editions of Forever Sports in the UK in 2016 included shoots with Ronaldo, Amir Kahn, Joe Hart and Anthony Joshua, but we’re also interested in ordinary people, so we’ll be talking to local sports people of all nationalities who are pushing the boundaries in their field.”

Vogue Arabia set to launch in the region

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Conde Nast is set to launch an online edition of Vogue Arabia this Autumn, in partnership with Dubai-based media agency Nervora. The Middle Eastern edition of the luxury fashion title will be headed up by Editor-In-Chief, Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz. The website will be launched in Arabic as well as English and followed by a print magazine due to begin publication next Spring.

Vogue Arabia will be the 22nd edition of Vogue in print from Conde Nast and the magazine’s headquarters are to be located in Dubai. It will be distributed across the Gulf in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as targeting the wider MENA region. Daniela Agnelli, who previously worked on London’s Telegraph magazine for 15 years and a number of publications in the UK as well as the U.S. will be joining the publication as Fashion Director. Caterina Minthe, current Managing Editor at Style.com/Arabia, also part of Nervora, will join the team as Features Director.

“Nearly four years ago, we embarked on a mission to change the fashion landscape in the Middle East with Style.com/Arabia,” says Shashi Menon, CEO, Nervora. “That mission continues — and grows markedly — with Vogue, the world’s pre-eminent fashion publication. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Jonathan Newhouse, Chairman and Chief Executive, Condé Nast International adds “There has been a growing demand for Vogue in the Arab world for some time, and now the time has come to make it a reality.”

Frontline Fashion relaunches

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Frontline Fashion has relaunched under a new name – Frontline F. The relaunch is accompanied by a new-look website covering the worlds of fashion, beauty, family, fun and philanthropy with the aim to help individuals to be socially responsible while remaining stylish. The brainchild of fashion and beauty PR-turned-entrepreneur Melissa Gilchrist Higgins, the simplification of the website’s title to Frontline F represents a shift in focus from exclusively style to a wider range of interests and core ‘F’ areas; family, fun, ‘[f]ilanthropy’, female and fashion.

“Whether you are a girl-on-the-go, or a mum-on-the-move, we are all allowed to look and feel our best,” says Melissa. “We can all be ‘style conscious with a social conscience’ and make a difference, one child at a time.”

Sara Hamdan launches holidaysinheels.com

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Journalist Sara Hamdan has launched holidaysinheels.com, a luxury hotel review site with a section dedicated to packing. Sara has been writing for the New York Times from Dubai since 2010, she has previously worked for publications such as VIVA, Stylist Arabia and Dubai Magazine, she is also currently working on a part-time project with Google. Holidaysinheels.com was launched as a result of her passion for escapism and the curated styles featured on the site will be displayed in a way that allows readers to click and buy outfits directly from online stores such as net-a-porter.com. Retailer Bmore Bugatti, that stocks Tom Ford, Roberto Cavalli and other designer brands in the region, is currently sponsoring holidaysinheels.com.

“I chose to launch this site because travel, fashion and books provide the ultimate escapism for me,” says Sara. “I used to be in charge of the food and travel sections at VIVA and continued to write on these topics at Stylist Arabia and Dubai Magazine. I figured, why not write about topics I love for myself this time?”

7DAYS launches content marketing studio

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UAE Publisher 7DAYS has launched an in-house content marketing studio, DEEP, which offers advertisers a new approach to their marketing requirements. DEEP will provide brands with creative opportunities to share their stories with the 7DAYS audience and beyond.

“DEEP delivers the opportunity for brands to immerse themselves within 7DAYS content at many levels and across all channels,” says Charlotte Turner, Head of Content Marketing, 7DAYS. “By working collaboratively with commercial partners, DEEP will deliver a client’s desired result through creative, solution-based thinking. Using content to engage customers has become a must on any media schedule. It’s no longer about talking at the audience, it’s about starting conversations with them.”

Mark Rix, CEO, 7DAYS, adds “This is the perfect time to launch an in-house content studio and we are proud to be the first publisher in the UAE to do so. The rapid evolution of social media and in particular the voracious appetite for quality video content, has prompted the creation of this dedicated team to devise multi-platform content concepts that meet the objectives of commercial partners, while also aligning with 7DAYS own vision of engaging and inspiring communities.”

Lion MEC launches

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Darine Hounaine, Co-Founder of Mother, Baby and Child magazine at CPI Media, has moved on to launch Lion Media, Events and Consultancy (MEC) firm in Dubai. The firm aims to meet the needs of companies that require marketing and digital consultancy as well as events work. Lion MEC will launch its own set of events such as the International People’s Festival which will celebrate and flaunt the different cultures that the UAE has to offer in a carnival setting, as well as the Women’s Entrepreneur Awards and the Health and Wellbeing series of events.

The media arm of the firm will also be launching new publication Family Tree, targeting parents with children from 0 – 18 years of age with an initial print run of 15,000 copies distributed around supermarkets, clinics, hospitals, schools, hotels and more. The magazine will be available online and have its own app which will feature events, articles, news updates and a chat room. Family Tree will also have its own monthly network of events alongside a yearly channel of events.

“Success comes in a can, not a can’t; I believe that whatever you set your mind to, with persistence, passion, devotion and commitment can be possible if executed correctly,” says Darine.”I’m proud to be launching Lion MEC and to be incorporating all of my networks and talents under one roof to offer businesses the best possible service and ROI .”