The media company Intigral plans to increase the number of TV channels it offers to 150, and says it is in talks with "at least four" regional telecommunications operators about providing digital video.
Intigral, which is based in Dubai, is a joint venture between Saudi Telecom Company (STC), All Asia Networks and Saudi Research and Marketing Group.
The company acquires the rights to film and TV content and encodes it for delivery over internet protocol television (IPTV), mobile devices and the web. It provides TV and video-on-demand for Invision, STC's pay-TV service.
Karim Daoud, the company's chief executive, says Intigral is in talks with regional telecoms companies about providing other video services. "I could list at least four today between the Gulf and the Levant," Mr Daoud says. "The mandate of Intigral is definitely regional … Once you do it once for one client, you have economies of scale."
While IPTV services are already active in the region through operators such as Etisalat and du in the UAE and STC in Saudi Arabia, there are opportunities elsewhere, says Mr Daoud. "Smaller countries just around us here - be it Bahrain, be it Kuwait, be it Qatar - might find significant interest in our value proposition," he says.
Ismaeel Makdisi, the vice president of corporate affairs and general counsel at Intigral, says the company "will soon be providing IPTV services to entities and platforms outside Saudi Arabia".
Intigral encodes more than 50 channels for STC's Invision service, including Al Jazeera Sports and several MBC and OSN channels.
Mr Makdisi says the number of channels it provides will triple this year. "We're going from 50 channels to 150 channels - that's our goal in the foreseeable future, this year," he says.
"It's not just the number of channels, it's also the quality of channels. We're highlighting the importance of HD quality, for example."
Mr Makdisi says Intigral's offering is a "one-stop shop", in that it forms content deals with various broadcasters and studios, which can be served over many other platforms, such as STC's Invision. Nick Grande, the managing director of Channel Sculptor, a television consultancy in Dubai, says the business model makes sense.
"From a content owners' point of view, you don't want to be involved in protracted negotiations with 45 or so telcos in the Mena region," Mr Grande says. "But you do want to get the best prices for your product.
"I think a number of other players have identified a need for centralised aggregation of content. It makes sense for a party to sit between the two. I believe there are other businesses going aggressively into this space."
Mr Grande says IPTV could provide a revenue boost for regional telecoms companies, pointing to several GCC markets.
"You want to look at places with high GDP and low geographical footprints, so Kuwait, Bahrain and to a lesser extent Oman," he says.
bflanagan@thenational.ae
What%20is%20Dungeons%20%26%20Dragons%3F%20
%3Cp%3EDungeons%20%26amp%3B%20Dragons%20began%20as%20an%20interactive%20game%20which%20would%20be%20set%20up%20on%20a%20table%20in%201974.%20One%20player%20takes%20on%20the%20role%20of%20dungeon%20master%2C%20who%20directs%20the%20game%2C%20while%20the%20other%20players%20each%20portray%20a%20character%2C%20determining%20its%20species%2C%20occupation%20and%20moral%20and%20ethical%20outlook.%20They%20can%20choose%20the%20character%E2%80%99s%20abilities%2C%20such%20as%20strength%2C%20constitution%2C%20dexterity%2C%20intelligence%2C%20wisdom%20and%20charisma.%20In%20layman%E2%80%99s%20terms%2C%20the%20winner%20is%20the%20one%20who%20amasses%20the%20highest%20score.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Company%20Profile
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Cagliari v AC Milan (6pm)
Lazio v Napoli (9pm)
Inter Milan v Atalanta (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Sampdoria v Brescia (6pm)
Fiorentina v SPAL (6pm)
Torino v Bologna (6pm)
Verona v Genoa (9pm)
Roma V Juventus (11.45pm)
Parma v Lecce (11.45pm)
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
If you go:
Getting there:
Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.
Getting around:
Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
