The latest advances in measuring and optimizing online marketing and the advantages of implementing such strategies in a competitive marketplace were discussed at a seminar on Search Engine Marketing hosted by Dubai Media City, a member of TECOM Investments.

The two-hour interactive workshop was organised in association with WSI Internet Consulting, a leading provider of internet solutions to businesses worldwide.

The event witnessed the participation of 95 regional marketing professionals, representing advertising and PR agencies, media buyers and other professional organizations, keen to optimize the online presence of their companies and clients.

Mohamed Almulla, Executive Director, Dubai Media City, said: ‘The seminar is in line with our objective to offer a suitable platform for corporate leaders based in the UAE and the wider GCC market to benefit from latest technological trends. We are confident this event will further reinforce Dubai Media City’s mission of launching initiatives that are geared towards nurturing the region’s knowledge economy.’

Husam Jandal, Internet Business Consultant, WSI Internet Consulting, said: ‘With the highest growth rate of Internet users in the world, the Middle East represents a vast opportunity for the business community to promote their products and services online.

‘With more than 90% of all traffic generated on the Internet coming from search engines, it is important for the local business community to identify various ways of utilizing these Internet tools to achieve the desired visibility for their businesses.’

He added a majority of the regional companies are yet to realize the immense benefits that could accrue through the use of the Internet, which can be tapped for generating fruitful business leads and for building brand recognition.

He added: ‘There is a huge gap between demand for information and the supply of relevant content in the business arena. There are people who are desperately looking for certain products and services but unable to find relevant links because business offerings are not available online, or at least not visible on search engines. As an essential marketing tool for businesses, search engine marketing has become one of the world’s most preferred marketing strategies due to its flexibility, accessibility, accuracy, and cost effectiveness.’

Focusing on the details of regional internet usage, experts who led the seminar found Yahoo, Google and MSN as the most preferred search engines, a trend akin to the Western world. However, recently launched language specific search engines such as ‘Araby’ have become increasingly popular among Internet users in the Arab world, the seminar highlighted.

The workshop also underlined the findings of market studies that the Internet is the best vehicle for addressing the youth segment as a key target audience with more than 65 per cent preferring the Internet as their main source of information, according to a recent study by Maktoob Research, another regional internet market research company.

After ContinentAd's successful completion and publication of TECOM Investments Official Directory 2008, the company is now embarking in distributing the book in the entirety of the region and in different parts of the globe.

"It is our pride to publish once again the TECOM Investments' official directory and as of this stage, we are now in the process of initially circulating more than 35,000 copies of the book locally and in other countries," said ContinentAd's Business Development Manager Yousuf Lootah.

He elaborated that 25% of the book is being distributed in Dubai offices, another 25% to TECOM partners while the other 50% is disseminated to various Dubai Exhibitions, 4 and 5 Stars Hotels, Consulates and Embassies in the UAE and worldwide, DTCM Representative Offices worldwide and International mailing.

"Our distribution team ensures that even the remotest part of the region will have an access to the book as this was actually published for everybody's benefits and use. We make certain as well that those foreign nations will be able to benefit from the book for any possible business research and personal studies about TECOM Investments," ContinentAd's manager added.

Mr. Lootah also emphasized that the book is being distributed for free. In addition, the directory offers a wide range of advantages to both advertisers and users. The former will have an exclusive publicity under the brand of TECOM Investments while the latter will enjoy the convenience of using the book as it provides Alphabetical Listing for easy browsing, contains smart classifications and categories, stores complete information about TECOM Investments and TECOM brands, holds most updated company listing of the business zone, and very handy.

"TECOM Official Directory aims to bring together the entire TECOM Business Communities in one book and make it an excellent compilation of all available data for user's easy access to information in the business center," further stated by Mr. Lootah.

He guaranteed also that the book is highly reliable and updated as all company details are officially released by the management of TECOM Investments.

ContinentAd has been a professional service provider in the advertising and marketing industry for more than a decade and a privileged publisher and distributor of the official directories of established Free Zones and business areas in the entire region of Dubai.

His Excellency Ahmad bin Byat, Executive Chairman of TECOM Investments, today announced that TECOM Investments, a member of Dubai Holding, has restructured its expansive portfolio which includes the appointment of Abdullatif AlMulla as TECOM Investments Group CEO.

Abdullatif AlMulla, in turn, has mandated the creation of a new division, TECOM Business Parks as an umbrella organisation incorporating TECOM’s free zone clusters.

Overseeing the various companies under TECOM Investments, Abdullatif AlMulla will steer the growth strategies of Media Services Group (MSG), eHosting Datafort, Empower, EIT, SmartCity and the newly established division, TECOM Business Parks.

Headed by Dr. Amina Alrustamani as the Chief Executive Officer, TECOM Business Parks will bring under its ambit Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Knowledge Village, Dubai Studio City, International Media Production Zone, DuBiotech, Dubai Outsource Zone, Dubai International Academic City and Enpark.

Broadening TECOM Investments’ reach further to its international operations, Fareed Abdulrahman has been appointed CEO of SmartCity.

SmartCity develops self-sustained townships worldwide based on the successful models of Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Village.

With SmartCity Malta and SmartCity Kochi being the first two townships to create a global network, Fareed Abdulrahman will continue to expand SmartCity internationally to develop significant hubs of excellence for knowledge-based industries.

His Excellency Ahmad Bin Byat said: 'With the ongoing expansion of TECOM Investments, a necessary and obvious measure that had to be taken was to grasp a more focused approach from both, within and beyond the Dubai Free Zone Clusters. With his outstanding track record at the helm of TECOM Investments, it was a logical progression for AlMulla to assume a larger mandate.'

Meanwhile, Dr. Amina Al Rustamani will be responsible for guaranteeing the timely delivery of projects, achieving greater cost and process efficiencies, enhancing customer satisfaction, while ensuring the entities remain aligned to the values of TECOM Investments.

Abdullatif AlMulla said: 'Dr. Amina Al Rustamani has consistently demonstrated her ability to handle complex projects across different industries, while remaining dedicated to the values endorsed by TECOM Investments. I am confident in her ability to rise up to the challenging role and display unrivalled professionalism.

'As an excellence based and operationally sustainable organisation, TECOM Investments continuously invests in the realisation of Dubai’s vision.

This restructuring of TECOM Investments reflects the rapid growth of a conglomerate that constantly needs to innovate itself to remain a market leader.

It will strengthen our growth into a diversified company that is committed to exceeding its business objectives while unleashing new leadership potential.'

'Meanwhile, we will be placing a large focus this year on our international operations. With the great successes achieved by Fareed Abdulrahan, CEO of SmartCity; by implementing our strategic aspirations in various international countries.

Both SmartCity Malta and SmartCity Kochi have proven that our move towards implementing successful models internationally was one that will reap great result both for the respective cities and their people as well as for TECOM Investments.'

Representing a landmark in its rapid growth curve, the restructuring process also involves the reorganization of some of TECOM Investments’ centralized departments and the announcement of new corporate leaders.

While Jamal Al Sharif becomes Executive Director, Dubai Studio City, Ismail Al Naqi will head Dubai Outsource Zone as its Executive Director.

Abdullatif AlMulla added: 'Additionally Jamal Al Sharif and Ismail AlNaqi have both set exceptional standards of performance and integrity that have resulted in the remarkable growth of their respective entities, Dubai Studio City and Dubai Outsource Zone.

Their continued drive and diligence augurs exciting times for both the free zones that stem out of innovative business concepts.'

TECOM Investments free zone clusters have registered remarkable success over the years and the concept has been replicated by other countries in the GCC region and the Arab world.

In addition, attracted by the growth story of the cluster model, a number of countries, beyond the Middle East, are in talks with the Dubai Government to establish similar entities aimed at either revitalising or diversifying their economies

Dubai Studio City (DSC), a member of TECOM Investments, announced it will showcase at CABSAT 2008 top of the range technical and community infrastructure that has successfully attracted global media production companies to its cluster.

The 14th edition of CABSAT, the Middle East's largest electronic media and satellite communications event, will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from 4-6 March, bringing together leading industry players from around the world to the region.

At CABSAT 2008, DSC will seek to leverage its participation to attract new industry players to the free zone, highlighting its enormous networking potential for broadcasting services and technology while targeting the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) markets.

Jamal Al Sharif, Director, Dubai Studio City, said: 'CABSAT 2008 is an ideal platform showcasing latest technologies in broadcasting, especially for the onset of digital high definition TV (HDTV) transmission. Key regional and international brands participate in this event to gauge market trends and explore business opportunities.'

'Dubai Studio City consistently endeavours to bring new products and services to facilitate the seamless functioning of its current business partners. Geared to becoming a 'one stop shop' for production related services, we aim to evolve as a popular destination for suppliers and clients to convene.'

Al Sharif will feature as a keynote speaker at the opening ceremony of CABSAT on 4 March, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Currently, Dubai Studio City is home to over 70 broadcasters, while more than 160 TV channels operate from Dubai Media City (DMC), yet another TECOM Investments entity. DSC has over 75 licensed business partners, comprising recognized broadcasters such as NDTV (Arabia), MTV, Spacetoon; and value chain companies including EVS Broadcase, Irdeto, Alpatron, and Mediapro.

Al Sharif added: 'In our pursuit of excellence, Dubai Studio City seeks to leverage our business partners' strengths, expertise, and solutions to create the most sophisticated infrastructure and services for the local, regional and international media community. This has helped us attract globally recognised brands to set up their regional operations in Dubai Studio City.'

At CABSAT 2008, DSC will co-exhibit with du, the official integrated satellite services provider for the premier technology exhibition. du's technology will allow business partners to uplink and downlink content and live feeds.

Dedicated to the growth of film, TV, radio production, post-production and broadcast industries in the region, the 22 million sq. ft Dubai Studio City boasts 14 sound stages, 3.5 million sq. ft. back lot for outdoor shooting, commercial offices, pre-built studios, a business centre and post-production studios.

The International Media Production Zone (IMPZ), a member of TECOM Investments, sponsored the GMR Effectiveness in Marketing Awards 2008 (GEMAS 2008), which were presented on 7 February at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.

Hamad Al Huraiz, Executive Director - IMPZ, delivered the keynote address at the gala ceremony while Elham H. Abbas, Executive Director, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, TECOM Investments, presented the 'Best Integrated Campaign' award.

Representatives from TECOM Investments media clusters - Dubai Media City, International Media Production Zone and Dubai Studio City - attended the event that highlighted best practices and recognized excellence in the industry.

Set over 43 million sq. ft of land, IMPZ is the only free zone in the world, dedicated to the printing, publishing, packaging (3P) and graphic arts industries. It offers investors access to the finest media resources, cutting-edge technology and advanced production facilities.

Growth of the various media segments hinge on the excellence standards of the industry and the International Media Production Zone (IMPZ), a member of TECOM Investments, applies this yardstick to all projects, according to Hamad Al Huraiz, Executive Director of IMPZ.

Announcing the sponsorship of GMR Effectiveness in Marketing Awards (The GEMAS) 2008, Al Huraiz said: 'The awards' objective of recognizing marketing excellence concurs with our vision of creating a destination that excels in every aspect.

'At this year's GEMAS, IMPZ will also be sponsoring the 'Best Integrated Campaign' category. This award acknowledges outstanding works in the industry which have used at least four different types of media to launch their campaign.'

Elham H. Abbas, Executive Director, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, TECOM Investments, will present the 'Best Integrated Campaign' award. Hamad Al Huraiz will deliver the keynote address at the gala ceremony that will be held on 7 February at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.

Al Huraiz added: 'IMPZ's support to GEMAS this year demonstrates our continuous commitment to excellence and our role to drive Dubai's status as a global media hub. We believe this vision can be achieved only if we strive to maintain our standards.'

The elite panel of GEMAS judges includes international and regional marketing practitioners and academics. The panellists select their own chairperson and decide their own criteria and methodology to choose winners. In each category, the judges select one 'Winner' and one entry as 'Highly Commended'. An overall Grand Prix champion is decided from the 11 category winners.

The categories include Best New Brand and Best New Product launch as well as Best Use of TV and Best Use of Print Media. The key to winning a GEMAS is clear and measurable objectives for the nominated activity and tangible and measurable results against those metrics.

Designed to serve printing, publishing, packaging and graphic arts companies, IMPZ is the first free zone of its kind in the region that caters to the industry's rapid growth.

Located close to the Al Maktoum International airport in Jebel Ali across an area of 43 million sq. ft, IMPZ offers investors access to the finest media resources, sophisticated technology and advanced production facilities, highlighting a pro-business environment in the midst of a unique production cluster.

Masar, the print arm of Arab Media Group, has won Gold at the second annual Dubai Print Awards, which included entrants from around the GCC region this year.

The company has been in operation since November 2007 in its new location at the International Media Production Zone (IMPZ), a member of TECOM Investments.

Masar currently prints leading newspaper titles such as Emirates Business 24/7, Emarat Al-Youm, Al Bayan, and Al Alam. With their fresh design and dynamic content, the publications have set high standards for newspapers in the UAE. Masar has implemented FM screening, the latest international print technology that generates premium quality.

Abdullatif Al Sayegh, CEO of the Arab Media Group (AMG), said: 'This award marks the beginning of our drive towards excellence. The recognition reaffirms our capacity to exceed readers' expectations, the credit for which goes to the entire Masar team that has made a convincing imprint on the industry.'

Faisal bin Haider, General Manager of Masar, said: 'Considering this was our first year in competition, we are very proud of the results, and will continue to apply the same rigorous attention to production quality when we open our commercial printing press at the IMPZ facility in March. The award will help further our goal to evolve as the largest print media organisation, servicing Europe and the GCC out of Dubai.'

Masar employs the most versatile mailroom systems for online insertion of advertising material and additional supplements. The system is fully automated, enabling publishers to receive their product on time and without human intervention.

The Masar commercial printing division will open in March at IMPZ, with the latest in sheet-fed and Commercial Web printing technology.

SpaceToon Media Group, one of the most recognized children's media brands in the Middle East and North Africa, today announced it is setting up its regional base at the Dubai Studio City (DSC), a member of TECOM Investments.

The announcement was made on the sidelines of the Dubai International Film Festival.
SpaceToon is leasing 57,861 sq. ft. in Dubai Studio City to build a dedicated facility that will include Spacetoon Academy for Animation, state-of-the-art studio and offices.

Jamal Al Sharif, Director, DSC, said: 'The arrival of SpaceToon at Dubai Studio City adds a fresh dimension to the bouquet of production entities present in the cluster. SpaceToon's unique offering, combining education and entertainment components, will add high value to the niche regional programming for children.

'Dubai Studio City is aggressively investing in developing state-of-the-art facilities to help our partners launch their operations effectively. The increasing interest from major film and broadcast houses is a testimony to its ability to provide world-class infrastructure and quality ancillary services.'

SpaceToon is an integrated media company involved in TV, radio, licensing, merchandizing, online and interactive products. It holds the rights to the largest library of Arabic dubbed animated cartoons in the region. Spacetoon is currently a multinational brand name that has extended its footprint to Indonesia, Korea, and India.

Fayez Weiss Alsabagh, President and CEO, SpaceToon Media Group, said: 'SpaceToon Media Group is pleased to announce the leasing of land at Dubai Studio City, a destination of dreams and fantasies for millions of children. Kids will have an incredible opportunity to tour the fascinating building and experience first hand the step by step creation of animations.

'In line with SpaceToon's strategic expansion plans, our move to Dubai Studio City will give us a much larger avenue of opportunity for commercial and social growth. The management team at SpaceToon is looking forward to launching this endeavour as a vital move for the group's development.'

SpaceToon Animation College will be the first institution in the Middle East, offering the transfer of a television station's know-how to students through 2D and 3D animation technology. On completion, the young graduates will be given the opportunity to pursue their careers within the SpaceToon Group.

Meanwhile, SpaceToon is expanding to new markets with its Hindi language channel, which is scheduled to launch early next year. This will be followed by three additional channels in Farsi, Russian and Turkish. SpaceToon aims to launch channels in 10 languages by 2010.

Dubai Studio City offers a complete technical and community infrastructure catering to the film, TV, radio production and broadcast industries. The facility aims to attract production and broadcast companies, as well as providers of support services such as animation, dubbing, makeup, costume design, set design and construction, casting, telnet agencies, telecine, and laboratory facilities.

Dubai Studio City (DSC), a member of TECOM Investments, today announced the official opening of 18 Boutique Studios at a special on site ceremony held to celebrate the moving in of its first business partners.

Offering an ideal environment for independent production and broadcast companies, the Boutique Studios have been developed at an investment of Dhs110m part of Dubai Studio City's Phase 1 development. All the Boutique Studios have been reserved by regional and international broadcasters.

Each Boutique Studio will provide 6,000 sq. ft. of office space, and offer dedicated studio facilities ranging from 1,000 sq. ft. to 3,000 sq. ft. The designs of all the units correspond to the highest international standards to meet high end production needs..

Dr. Amina Al Rustamani, Executive Director of Media, TECOM Investments, said: 'The new Dubai Studio City offerings will help accommodate the mushrooming growth in the region's broadcasting sector. Dubai's top of the range infrastructure, hassle free business environment and investor-friendly services have significantly contributed to this fast-paced growth.'

Jamal Al Sharif, Director of Dubai Studio City said: 'The early reservation of all the Boutique Studios is an indication of the global players' keenness to take advantage of our state-of-the-art infrastructure. This confirms our strategy of offering optimum facilities to meet the diverse requirements of our partners.

'The moving in of the first of our business partners is a landmark for the Dubai Studio City. We also have an extensive waiting list of companies seeking space at the boutique studios, which underscore the facility's unique value addition to production entities.'

Dubai Studio City is dedicated to the growth of film, TV, radio production, post-production and broadcast industries in the region. Spread over an area of 22 million sq. ft, Dubai Studio City will include 14 sound stages, 3.5 million sq. ft. back lot for outdoor shooting, commercial offices, pre-built studios, a business centre and post-production studios. Please use this not to sound repetitive.

TECOM Investments, a member of Dubai Holding, today officially launched its first purpose built staff training centre at the Dubai Knowledge Village.

The centre demonstrates TECOM Investments' commitment towards the professional development of its own staff, as well as employees of its entities.

The fully equipped multi purpose training hall is fitted with state-of-the-art audio visual systems, internet connection and in built cameras to take photographs while training is in progress. The facility will be managed by the Learning and Development division, a component of the Human Capital department at TECOM Investments.

It will offer young recruits a six month training programme that focuses on professional development through a mixture of off-the-job training, induction courses and communication skills training. Additionally, it will offer programmes in association with prominent international institutions such as the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), Europe's largest professional body.

Abdullatif AlMulla, CEO of TECOM Investments, said: 'Core values form the basis of every operational aspect in an organization. The consistent application of these principles, on a daily basis, is crucial to its success and growth. These values also represent the corporate culture of any progressive organisation.

'At TECOM Investments, we consider people as our prime assets. Our success depends on how effectively these professionals comprehend and adopt our core values. We have established this facility for their continuous development as we believe learning is vital to achieving the organizations' objectives.'

The TECOM Investments' training facility is designed to enhance the delivery of its top tier services by helping business leaders cope with dynamic change and challenges and by providing Master's scholarships to promising TECOM Investments' employees. It will also assist in the recruitment and training of graduate UAE nationals.

Nasser Al Awadhi, Executive Director of Human Capital, TECOM Investments, said: 'Like many quality organisations, we have offered numerous ongoing workshops and trainings, which have proved to be popular, successful, and well supervised. These initiatives have helped our people develop market specific skill sets and raise their competency levels.

'TECOM Investments believes frequent and proactive involvement in staff development is vital to the progress of any organization. The new training facility reflects our profound focus on employee self development.'

Early this year, TECOM Investments received the Dubai Human Development Award, in the Service category, for its outstanding commitment towards the holistic development of its people. TECOM Investments is also the recipient of the Dubai Holding Excellence Award for Best Employee Satisfaction.

So far this year, TECOM Investments has organized 153 separate training courses, 97 run by external training providers and 56 by TECOM Investments' in-house trainers.

Dubai Media City (DMC), a member of TECOM Investments, today announced the sixth edition of the Ibda'a Media Student Awards, which will include a career day for the first time this year.

A unique regional initiative which recognises outstanding media students, the Ibda'a Media Student Awards, launched by DMC in 2001, encourage and nurture young media talent from around the world. They have received an overwhelming response for previous editions.

Mohamed Al Mulla, Director of Dubai Media City and Coordinator General of the Awards, said: 'The Ibda'a Media Student Awards have generated significant regional and worldwide interest. In order to further expand the scope of the awards, we are organising the Ibda'a Career Day this year. Our objective is to create links between media institutions and students which will help tap the potentially vast pool of young talent in the region."

'The awards seek to celebrate creative excellence in media in an environment suitable to free expression. We are confident, this will act as a forum to bring together students who will lead the growth and success of media sector in the region.'

Dubai Media City will host the Career Day on 26 December. Also on the sidelines of the awards, an exhibition of short-listed entries will be held from 25-29 December. The winners of this year's awards will be announced during the closing ceremony on 27 December.

The event is organized on an annual basis by Dubai Media City in association with the International Advertising Association (IAA).

For the sixth edition of the Ibda'a Media Student Awards, Dubai-based Ziad Galadari Group is the title sponsor while co-sponsors are Emirates Bank, Arabian Automobiles, OMD and Carassi. The media partners are Motivate Publishing, Zee TV, Showtime, Xische, 7 Star Events, Arabian Radio Network, Al Emarat Al Youm and Emirates Today dailies, CNBC Arabia and DMI.

Ziad Abdulla Galadari, Chairman of Ziad Galadari Group, said: "Our Group is proud to be title sponsor of the sixth edition of the Ibda'a Media Student Awards. We value the capabilities of the region's youth and seek to support students who will be focusing on analysis and content creation as part of their media-related work.

'We believe these awards are an excellent opportunity to encourage students to be a part of an initiative which not only attracts global talent but encourages media students in the Arab world. This is crucial to the continued growth of this region."

The previous edition of Ibda'a Media Student Awards attracted 2,217 entries from more than 20 countries including Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, India, Iran, Turkey, Canada, Japan, the US and the UK.

Al Mulla explained that the Ibda'a Media Student Awards initiative is in line with DMC's Corporate Social Responsibility policy. He pointed out that while the award offers an opportunity for students to take part in a creative venture, it also acts as a platform which benefits the community in general.

Special emphasis has been given to attract the best entries for Ibda'a Media Student Awards. A dedicated team coordinates with the universities and higher education institutions in the UAE, the Pan Arab region and internationally. DMC also has representatives in India, Egypt, Iran, the US and the UK to create awareness about this award.

The Ibda'a Media Student Awards cover 10 main categories including journalism (non-news), radio, animation, graphic design, analogue photography, digital photography, print advertising, TV advertising, TV documentary and film/TV feature.

Dubai Studio City (DSC), a member of TECOM Investments, today announced its investment in phase one of the development has reached AED1.2 billion.

In an on-site meeting arranged for business partners and media, Dubai Studio City revealed 78 per cent of the infrastructure is already in place and the rest will be completed by year end.

Phase one of Dubai Studio City will feature 18 boutique studios, three mega sound stages, four six-level office buildings, a 15-storey tower, retail area, a warehouse and a workshop.

Dr. Amina Al Rustamani, Executive Director of Media, TECOM Investments, said: "The development we witness today is a testimony to our commitment to provide the local and international media communities with a reliable infrastructure that fulfils their creative and operational requirements. Guided by the clear understanding of various film and broadcast media requirements, DSC will have an enabling environment which maximises opportunities for these businesses."

"Dubai Studio City is determined to play a positive role in diversifying Dubai's economy by creating a unique cluster for the film and broadcast media. Although we aim to attract international production organisations, we would like to assure you that local talents will not be overlooked. Our optimum goal is to lay the foundation to enable a UAE film industry to grow and flourish. Fledgling film makers, as well as mega production companies will find Dubai Studio City the ideal location."

The event also marked DSC's Location Approval Services (LAS) department's completion of two years in operation. LAS is the dedicated operational arm of Dubai Studio City, mandated with facilitating government permits for all photography and filming activities in Dubai. It also offers a full bouquet of enabling services including location scouting, access to talent and weather forecasts, as well as arranging visas, travel and accommodation. LAS has supported around 400 production projects since its inception in 2005.

Jamal Al Sharif, Director of Dubai Studio City, said: "We are investing in developing state of the art facilities to help our partners proceed with their operations in a smooth and effective manner. Best global standards are being followed to ensure our offering matches industry requirements.

"More than 40 companies have been licensed by DSC so far, while eight more are in the negotiation stage. The increasing interest is a testimony to the industry's confidence in Dubai's ability to provide a world-class infrastructure and quality ancillary services.'

Construction work at phase one of DSC's core production area is scheduled to start in June 2007. This will include three sound stages, starting with a 15,500 sq. ft. studio which will be ready by Q2 2008. The other two sound stages will provide each 25,295 sq. ft of sound-proofed studio space. These are expected to be ready by Q3 2008. The three studios will be supported by similar size of office space totalling 65,000 sq. ft. to cater administration and operational requirements to sustain production activities.

The two larger stages can be connected with large elephant doors to create a 50,000 sq. ft stage. They will be equipped to meet the requirements of the most demanding big-budget productions.

Building operations starting in June will also include a 130,000 sq ft warehouse dedicated to production companies to store their materials and equipment. A similar 130,000 sq ft. area will also be allocated for a workshop for producing interior and exterior decorations and shooting locations sets.

Launched in February 2005, Dubai Studio City aims to build a huge cluster of companies from across the film, broadcast and music production value-chain. These include production companies, support service providers offering production and post-production facilities, animation studios and services like dubbing, makeup, costume designing, stage designing and building, casting, telnet agencies as well as telecine and lab facilities.

The Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat), in cooperation with Dubai Studio City (DSC) has organized a seminar to mark the introduction of the latest generation of Badr satellites and highlight their impact on the regional broadcasting industry.

"Badr-4 and Badr-6 Satellites – Strategic Horizons to Serve Middle East and North Africa Region", was held at Dubai Press Club and attended by a gathering of industry leaders, and regional broadcasting and media representatives.

Co-positioned at 26° East, Arabsat's "Hot-Spot" covering 130 million Direct-to-Home TV viewers, Badr-4 is the latest-generation satellite with state-of-the-art technology. It is intended to maintain Arabsat's pioneering position in the field of television satellite broadcasting and telecom services. Arabsat was recently ranked among the top ten global satellite operators.

Addressing the event, Eng. Khalid Balkhyour, President and CEO of Arabsat, said: "This seminar follows the successful launch of Badr-4 last year, and the start of its commercial operations. The new satellite will further our capabilities and ensure more growth opportunities for the company in both the short and long term."
Arabsat was honoured last week at the "Human Timeline" convention Washington, United States by the Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI), for being the first satellite operator in the Middle East and Southern Mediterranean region, more than 30 years ago.

"Arabsat expresses its gratitude to Dr. Amina Rustamani, Executive Director of Media, TECOM Investments, for Dubai Media City’s ongoing support of Arabsat, starting from the erection of the first digital platform for satellite TV broadcasting from DMC to the recently signed contract for the second platform. We hope this cooperation will prosper and develop in the years to come" Balkhyour added.

Dr. Amina Rustamani said: "Arabsat is a long standing partner of Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City. We are proud of this successful cooperation. We greatly look forward to taking this relationship to new levels of growth and efficiency that benefits the maximum number of broadcasters in the region.

"In our pursuit of excellence, we leverage our partners’ strengths, expertise, and solutions to provide the most sophisticated infrastructure and services for the local, regional and international media community. Arabsat is a key partner that helps us realize our ambitions for the future of the industry."

Aware of the crucial importance of back-up capacities to guarantee continuation of service, Arabsat is committed to meet the current and forecast market demands, underlining its future ambitious plans to obtain and operate satellites and maintain their orbital positions.
The recent launch of Badr-4, first of its 4th Generation satellites, represents a major milestone in delivering on this commitment, complemented by the launch of Badr-6 scheduled to take place as early as mid-2008. To complete this overall new fleet architecture, Arabsat is currently in the final stages of actively drafting contracts for manufacturing and launching its 5th Generation satellites that will provide both long-term expansion capacity as well as critical in-orbit back-up.

Arabsat is the only qualified organization in the Middle East with a fully integrated fleet of satellites, including all frequency bands to cope with future expansions expected to take place in the Middle East.