Cost cutting at the BBC have forced the corporation's Arabic service to cut back as well. BBC's Arabic service has been asked to share its Middle East bureaus. Faris Couri, the editor-in-chief of BBC Arabic, said the service was "not immune" to the austerity measures in the UK and said that BBC Arabic has been asked to share staff with the corporation's English-language news channel and radio stations. "Neither the financial situation nor the editorial policy allows us to be a standalone operation," said Couri. "Within the next 18 months or so, we'll see more cooperation, working together with the news gathering."

The Alarab news channel will be recruiting 300 employees before it goes live early next year. The channel, which is backed by Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, will broadcast from Bahrain. "From tonight, the countdown starts for our launch," said Jamal Khashoggi, the manager of Alarab at the Arab Media Forum in Dubai. "From 10 months to a year, Alarab will be on the air."

twofour54 is set to add 30 companies to its Abu Dhabi-based media zone this year, and is pursuing further investments as part of its goal to improve the Arabic content industry. "We have more than 30 in the pipeline this year," said Noura Al Kaabi, the new chief executive of twofour54. "They range from broadcasters to PR, production and digital start-ups" she added. Currently, there are about 160 companies based at twofour54, including CNN, the Financial Times, and Sky News Arabia, which begins broadcasting on Sunday.

Egyptian businessman Moustapha Sarhank plans to invest up to $40 million in regional media companies. Moustapha Sarhank, who made his fortune in the technology and defence sectors, said he had already submitted a bid for an Egyptian newspaper, and planned other acquisitions outside of Egypt. "I'll be looking at companies that have a footprint in the media sphere," said Sarhank. Investments in both print and online media are being considered. 

The Middle Eastern business portal Zawya is expected to be sold in a multimillion-dollar deal that will be finalized next month. Several media companies are said to be interested in purchasing the site. Both Thomson Reuters and Emap & Pearson have expressed an interest in acquiring the website. If negotiations are successful, Zawya is expected to be sold within six weeks.

Radio broadcasters in the UAE are teaming up to launch an industry association, amid concerns that the medium is underrated by advertisers. "It's the most underrated media in the UAE," said Vikram Dhar, the head of Gulf News Broadcasting. "Our reach is so much bigger, and our spread is so much bigger than the credit we are given in research, and the share of advertising budgets we get."

'Unethical practices' in the Arab advertising industry are the target of a new campaign by the International Advertising Association (IAA). The association hopes to address malpractice in the industry by issuing a series of guidelines. According to Lance de Masi, the president of the UAE chapter of the IAA, there are problems with both agencies and their clients. "When clients call pitches, and invite 24 agencies to participate, and then no one gets the business, that's an example of something that is wrong.