TORONTO // Al Jazeera has succeeded in its second attempt in five years to have its signal available for broadcast in Canada.
The national broadcast regulator has granted unconditional approval to the Doha-based network's English-language channel for cable and satellite distribution. In its decision, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) wrote that Al Jazeera English "will expand the diversity of editorial points of view within the Canadian broadcasting system".
The regulator also acknowledged the channel's popularity. More than 2,600 parties wrote to the CRTC to back its application, while only 40 opposed it.
Ethnic Channels Group, a distributor of foreign channels such as Abu Dhabi TV, facilitated the approval by sponsoring Al Jazeera English's application in February.
Slava Levin, the company's president and chief executive officer, said the channel is a natural addition to Canada because BBC World, CNN and Russia Today are already available to viewers.
"We scrutinised the channel before we decided to act as a sponsor," he said. "It's a very good channel."
Mr Levin's care is understandable, given the outcome of Al Jazeera's first move to broadcast in Canada in 2004. More than 500 individuals or groups opposed the addition of its Arabic-language channel to the airwaves, citing what they called its hateful material.
That led the CRTC to impose strict conditions on its distribution by cable and satellite companies. But none was willing to carry the Arabic channel because of the compulsion to retain records of all programming, block offensive comments and censor programmes to ensure no such comments are aired.
Al Jazeera English's point man in Canada was its managing director, Tony Burman, formerly the top journalist at the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Regarded for his integrity, he consistently explained the channel's mission of a global news service to the public through his appearances in the media and in public forums.
Mr Burman launched a sustained lobbying effort through such non-governmental organisations as Canadians for Al Jazeera while reaching out to Jewish groups that had pushed hard against the network last time.
Mr Burman said Al Jazeera English's efforts to enter the Canadian market were part of a global strategy. The company recently gained nationwide distribution in Australia and is expanding in India and the United States.
"We're investing time and effort to expand in a multitude of countries," he said. "North America is a market of 370 million people, the largest English-speaking market in the world, and as we expand into the United States, it's important for us to get nationwide distribution in Canada.
"There's a lot of crossover with Canada and the US. This gives us yet another opportunity to prove to the TV industry in North America that this is an award-winning channel that surely deserves wider distribution."
Al Jazeera English also benefited from the retrenchment of budget-cutting Canadian media organisations from covering the world.
Individual journalists, journalism groups and media democracy activists have all praised Al Jazeera English's coverage.
David Halton, a retired foreign correspondent who spent 40 years with the CBC, said he did not believe any Canadian media outlet had a correspondent in an Arab capital, and therefore the channel would fill a void in getting voices from those centres and throughout the developing world.
"Essentially, they do have a more elaborate worldview than any Canadian broadcaster currently does," he said.
Anita Krajnc, a member of the steering committee for OpenMedia.ca, a media democracy group, said Canada's media landscape would be greatly improved by Al Jazeera English.
"It covers wars behind civilian lines. It doesn't embed with invading forces," she said. "It offers a unique perspective that is really important for Canadian audiences and the Canadian government."
To enhance its journalistic presence here, Al Jazeera has pledged to open a Canadian bureau in the near future.
In 2004, Canadian Jewish groups led the opposition in their attempts to prevent the Arabic-language channel from being carried on Canadian airwaves. This time, they neither embraced nor opposed Al Jazeera English. Bernie Farber, the chief executive officer of the Canadian Jewish Congress, said that a consultative committee composed of representatives of the Canadian Jewish Congress, B'nai Brith Canada and Al Jazeera English had been formed, which was hoping to meet a few times a year but also as necessary.
Mr Burman, however, said that the information on the committee was not accurate. "There is no committee. That's their characterisation. I've agreed to meet with them six months after we're on air, and again 12 months after we're on air, to discuss any concerns about our programming. I've committed myself to two conversations, and it's not only Jewish groups: I plan to speak with a multitude of groups in Canada, including Arab groups."
For now, Canadian Jewish groups remain wary of the Al Jazeera "brand". "They fear that the parent company, Al Jazeera Arabic, might bleed into Al Jazeera English," Mr Farber said. "While it hasn't happened yet, it still gnaws at us. We will be watching very carefully what develops." So are people who would like to watch the channel.
Although Ethnic Channels Group served as Al Jazeera English's sponsor, Mr Levin said it was up to the cable and satellite companies to get the channel operational. He said there was a demand for the service based on the submissions to the CRTC.
For their part, Canadian companies are interested in the channel.
"We'd negotiate, and if the deal works for us, then we'd look at adding it to our services for sure," said Mark Langton, a spokesman for Bell Canada, the country's largest telecommunications company. He said the channel would be logically introduced alongside other news services included among its more than 500 channels.
Rogers Communications, Bell's largest competitor, said it was assessing the channel.
The actual test of consumer demand for Al Jazeera English in Canada will occur in January and February. By then, the channel is expected to be available to consumers for home viewing.
"There are lots of Canadians impatient to see Al Jazeera and we'd like to get it out there as soon as possible," Mr Burman said.
* With additional reporting by David Lepeska in Doha
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
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%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3ECompany%3A%20Zywa%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202021%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Nuha%20Hashem%20and%20Alok%20Kumar%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20UAE%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%243m%3Cbr%3ECompany%20valuation%3A%20%2430m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic
John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers
Switching%20sides
%3Cp%3EMahika%20Gaur%20is%20the%20latest%20Dubai-raised%20athlete%20to%20attain%20top%20honours%20with%20another%20country.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVelimir%20Stjepanovic%20(Serbia%2C%20swimming)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBorn%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20raised%20in%20Dubai%2C%20he%20finished%20sixth%20in%20the%20final%20of%20the%202012%20Olympic%20Games%20in%20London%20in%20the%20200m%20butterfly%20final.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJonny%20Macdonald%20(Scotland%2C%20rugby%20union)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBrought%20up%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20represented%20the%20region%20in%20international%20rugby.%20When%20the%20Arabian%20Gulf%20team%20was%20broken%20up%20into%20its%20constituent%20nations%2C%20he%20opted%20to%20play%20for%20Scotland%20instead%2C%20and%20went%20to%20the%20Hong%20Kong%20Sevens.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESophie%20Shams%20(England%2C%20rugby%20union)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20daughter%20of%20an%20English%20mother%20and%20Emirati%20father%2C%20Shams%20excelled%20at%20rugby%20in%20Dubai%2C%20then%20after%20attending%20university%20in%20the%20UK%20played%20for%20England%20at%20sevens.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
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
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
SEMI-FINAL
Monterrey 1
Funes Mori (14)
Liverpool 2
Keita (11), Firmino (90 1)
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
