Dubai Media roll out Arab radio, magazine

Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI) yesterday announced two new media ventures targeting the burgeoning Gulf and Arab population in the UAE. The new magazine and radio station will be launched in September. The magazine will be distributed across the UAE. "The introduction of the weekly magazine and new radio station would be a qualitative addition to the national, regional and Arab media," said Dhaen Shaheen, executive director for press, at Dubai Media Incorporated. The weekly magazine, which will be titled ARA Dubai, will have 100 pages. It aims to "truly reflect the spirit of Dubai" by "covering the variety of cultures that make the city… in a youthful way", said Shaheen. "Its coverage will not be of the Gulf region, the Arab world or the rest of the world. It will be a UAE magazine," he said. According to Ahmad Al Hammadi, executive director of commercial affairs and marketing at DMI, the magazine will cover topics such as sports, entertainment and women's issues. Some consumers believe that a new magazine catering to the local and Arab population might not be well received. Technologies "It's statistically proven that among the Emirati and Khaleeji population, the readership population is very poor. On average we read about one book per year," said Omar Al Busaidy, a Gulf News reader. The magazine is also expected to adopt new media technologies, they said, including the development of a digital version that will be available on the iPhone and iPad as well as smart devices and multimedia platforms. "Along with the development of quality and diversity of information services in order to satisfy the reader and listener — both local and Arab — DMI has not lost sight of the importance of choosing the best elements of information and entertainment with the application of best available technology to meet the needs of the public and gain their trust," Al Hammadi said. The radio station will broadcast Khaleeji and Emirati music along with live programmes on the celebration of Arab culture, which will be announced at a later date. "The new Dubai FM radio will address young people through a range of songs both modern and classical which reflect the sense of today's dynamic and energetic youth," said Khadija Al Marzouqi, director of the new Dubai FM radio. Khadeeja said that while there were a number of radio stations in the UAE, she believed that the market "could handle another station", which she said would be unique by not catering to popular tastes but focusing on providing quality content in terms of music and programming. She said, however, that the station should not be expected to "invent the wheel". Lifestyle programmes "There is definitely a need for radio stations that have lifestyle programmes. Nowadays most of the topics are business. They are really neglecting other issues such as art and education, etc," said Ayesha Abdul Noor Al Janahi, senior IT consultant at Dubai Holding, IT Group. According to Al Busaidy radio stations catering to locals mainly broadcast music. A new station that broadcasts programmes discussing entrepreneurship, media and arts would be well received. The radio station, like the magazine, would not be competing with regional or global channels, and will be marketed as a UAE channel, Shaheen said. from Gulf News