| 15 May 2008 |
|
Sheikh Waleed, owner of MBC, expands his empire
- Text size
Sheikh Waleed Al Ibrahim of Saudi Arabia, owner of Middle East Broadcasting Company (MBC)Middle East Broadcasting Company (MBC)
and media tycoon of the Arab world is expanding his media empire on a big level. After he launched MBC Films, earlier in the year, he is investing in Mark Gill and Neil Sacker's Film Department with the aim to make MBC GroupMBC Group
the Arab world's foremost content provider and delivery platform. Last year, MBC GroupMBC Group
tied up with Saudi singer Rashid Al Majed for music channel Al-Wanasah.Sheikh Waleed is credited for inventing the pan-Arab satellite television boom when he launched MBC, the region's first privately owned satcaster in 1991.
MBC 1 took to the airwaves during the Gulf War in 1991 with the first independent pan-Arab news. Today, boasting one of the most popular family news services in the region and with a strong commitment to local programming, from drama series to hit reality TV, it continues as the number one family viewing option in the region.
Initially the company was set up in London and after 10 years Sheikh Waleed shifted base to Dubai and has been earnestly working towards making the media open up more in the region.
Though he has had his share of confrontation with several religious and political entities here, the leader has taken all problems in his stride and believes this is a part of the game.
Sheikh Waleed believes there is no limit to expansion and things are happening faster than he had thought. "It's becoming more than I planned myself. I think my role is fading."
"It's not anymore the one-man show that it was in the early 90s when we could only see less than a metre in front of us. If there's anything that I want to accomplish today, it is to have a system in place... whether I'm there or not. It's not anymore about me," Sheikh Waleed was quoted saying in an interview to the media.
By Shuchita Kupar
x
DISCLAIMER
Zawya is a distributor (and not a publisher) of content supplied by third parties and subscribers. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by those third parties, including information providers, subscribers or other users of the Service, are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and not of the Company. The Company neither endorses nor is responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, advice or statement made on the Service by anyone other than authorized Service employee spokespersons while acting in their official capacities. The Company is not responsible for any infringement of intellectual property rights or breach of any applicable law or regulation, including regulation in relation to financial services or the distribution of financial products, defamation, data protection, telecommunications (including regulations relating to excessive use, spamming or other abusive activities) or obscene, offensive or illegal content). Under no circumstances will the Company be liable for any loss or damage caused by a member's reliance on information obtained through the Service. It is the responsibility of member to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content available through the Service. Please seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding the evaluation of any specific information, opinion, advice or other content.
Read the full Member Agreement
http://www.zawya.com/legal/NewsLetter.cfm?name=disclaimer
Zawya is a distributor (and not a publisher) of content supplied by third parties and subscribers. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by those third parties, including information providers, subscribers or other users of the Service, are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and not of the Company. The Company neither endorses nor is responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, advice or statement made on the Service by anyone other than authorized Service employee spokespersons while acting in their official capacities. The Company is not responsible for any infringement of intellectual property rights or breach of any applicable law or regulation, including regulation in relation to financial services or the distribution of financial products, defamation, data protection, telecommunications (including regulations relating to excessive use, spamming or other abusive activities) or obscene, offensive or illegal content). Under no circumstances will the Company be liable for any loss or damage caused by a member's reliance on information obtained through the Service. It is the responsibility of member to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content available through the Service. Please seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding the evaluation of any specific information, opinion, advice or other content.
Read the full Member Agreement
http://www.zawya.com/legal/NewsLetter.cfm?name=disclaimer
Access to this article is subject to specific terms and condition.
Loading ...Free Newsletter
Get the latest news from Media and other Free newsletters.
Post a Comment
1.1 Contain any material which is libelous or defamatory of any person, is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory or causes damage to the reputation of any person or organisation.
1.2 Promote sexually explicit material, violence, discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age or any illegal activity.
1.3 Be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence.
1.4 Be threatening, abuse or invade another's privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.
1.5 Be used to impersonate any person, to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person, or be likely to deceive any person.
1.6 Give the impression that they represent Zawya.
1.7 Advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse.