Skyscrapers are not the only structures to tower above the UAE’s golden sands. Dubai, the business hub of the emirates is bracing itself for yet another new media comer: the Arab Media Group (AMG), a Dubai government communication company and part of TECOM (Dubai Technology, Electronic Commerce and Media Free Zone Authority). According to Patrick Samaha, the company’s head of marketing, “AMG was founded in 2005 and currently includes nine radio stations, three newspapers, television stations, printing and distribution activities, an events management arm and outdoor advertising.”
The company was initially launched in 2001 under the name ARN (Arabian Radio Network), which has since morphed into eight radio stations — Dubai Eye, Dubai 92, Pulse, City, Hit, Noor Dubai, Al-Khaleejiya, and Al-Arabiya. The most recent addition is the station Virgin Dubai, a branch of Virgin International.
Today, the company is a full media group. With a workforce of 2,000 employees, occupying four office premises in Dubai as well as other locations in the country, the company has sprawled into various sectors of media activities. “We are not called the Arab Media Group for nothing,” boasts Samaha, “we provide different media across the entire spectrum.”
MTV and Nickelodeon Arabia
Recently, the company has gained wide publicity for its television deals with MTV and children’s network Nickelodeon, through its broadcasting division Arabian Television Network (ATN). The subsidiary will incorporate MTV Arabia as well as four other channels, three of them to be launched before the end of 2007.
The children’s channel, Nickelodeon Arabia, is scheduled to begin broadcasts in 2008. According to AMG, it will reach into a market of more than 36 million TV households and its potential audience is estimated at 190 million people across the region. According to Samaha, “Programming will include a mix of international content from Nickelodeon’s portfolio as well as local Arab productions.” Nickelodeon Arabia is part of a long-term relationship between AMG and MTV Networks International. “It is a great partnership that we are actively building on,” Samaha added. “This cooperation will allow us to produce programs that are reflective of local culture and values, something that also defines our approach to the MTV Arabia station.”
The latter is the first TV music brand to specifically target the youth in the Arab region. The Dubai station features both international and Arabic music combining international content with Arabic productions of popular MTV programs. The station is managed by Arabs for Arabs with the MTV crew currently including people from different nationalities, such as Lebanese, Egyptians, Jordanians, Saudis, and others. The marketing manager also pointed out that MTV programs will be adjusted to local cultures and sensitivities. The channel is showing Hip-HopNa (Our hip-hop), a show that will be co-hosted by a Saudi rapper and Palestinian-American producer Fredwreck (Farid Nassar), who has worked with Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and other music industry giants. Farid Nassar was in Lebanon a few months ago hosting a rap contest organized by MTV in Beirut. “We are not only concerned with what is fashionable but also by what is right for our region, and we do not intend on moving away from this philosophy. Today, we are aware of the responsibility that comes with engaging Arab youth. While AMG brings the world to the Middle East, it also brings the Middle East to the world,” explained Samaha. MTV viewers seem to agree: according to the network, 60% of respondents loved MTV Arabia’s new website.
The online division, Arabian Digital Network (ADN), which complements other areas of AMG’s activity is in the process of introducing 18 websites by early 2009 with www.MTVa.com among the first websites to jumpstart the process. AMG has also experimented with ShoofTV.com, a website for posting user-generated content.
Publishing and events
Also falling under the AMG umbrella is its publishing arm, Awraq, showcasing English language newspaper Emirates Today, its Arabic counterpart Emarat Al-Youm, and the Arabic broadsheet Al-Bayan.
Events management has also become a focus of AMG, which has created a subsidiary division, Done Events, which among other things, is bringing world-class shows to Dubai, like the Broadway musical “Chicago” in 2006.
AMG owns an outdoor advertising company, Shoof. “We are the fastest growing company in this particular segment,” Samaha pointed out. In addition to previously listed segments, AMG operates a logistics and distribution company, Tawseel, and a printing press, Masar. Tawseel will be offering advanced distribution and logistics support to the media industry, comprising retail and direct marketing activities, as well as subscription management facilities for local, regional and international publishing houses.
“AMG is aware of the media’s growing role, and offers an experience of seamless and perfectly integrated services,” added Samaha. According to the manager, the company’s diversified product base facilitates and enhances its market position while adding to its overall strategy. “When you use the name Arab Media Group, you need to feature the full line of media products. When it comes to commercialization, we are definitely more efficient as a group; we work in a full surround sound effect. It also makes more business sense for our clients, since we can reach out to a broader audience by using more than one choice of medium whether, radio, TV or outdoor media.”
The Group’s target market varies also from one sector of activity to the other and, according to Samaha, AMG’s audience differs from a local to a regional one depending on the medium used. While MTV Arabia targets Arab youth, the radio arm, ARN, targets Gulf nationals, other Arabs, Westerners as well as Asians. “You can call us a media solution provider. We create content, write it, publish it, print it, air it, advertise and sell it. I believe we are the only group to offer an A-to-Z approach, across so many vehicles, and this is why we are called the Arab Media Group.”
When asked about Abu Dhabi Media Company, the new rising media star of UAE’s capital, Samaha answered, “Competition is good and allows us to strive for the best. Evidently, there is always a need for new groups. We produce consumer goods, and the UAE’s growing population implies the need for a larger variety.” He believes that AMG has helped shape the industry by offering a large basket of brands under one banner. “We are not launching just any product but a very special one, and I believe that for now growth lies mainly in television, but who knows what tomorrow may hold?”
