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Al Barq Digital Lights Up Innovative Screen Digital Signage Network in Dubai Festival City

Abu Dubai, September 19, 2010: Al Barq Digital, the recently launched digital media brand, owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Media Digital Out Of Home (AD Media DOOH), a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media Company ( ADMC ), today announced it signed a 5-year digital media rights agreement with Dubai Festival City (DFC) .

Under the terms of the agreement, Al Barq Digital will turn on an innovative digital screen network in DFC comprising 32 Digital Media Units (DMUs) equipped with dual 65” high definition LCD digital display screens used for mall advertising, as wells as 22” interactive LCD touch screens that will help shoppers locate and navigate their way to stores and services in the mall.

The network, designed to enhance consumers’ experience, boost advertising and promotion opportunities, and drive incremental revenues for DFC’s retail partners, will be among the most sophisticated in the retail space.

“We are determined to support and foster growth and innovation in the digital signage and digital out of home media networks”, said Ricky Ghai, Executive Director, Digital Media at ADMC . “Bringing to the market such a sophisticated digital signage that combines the influence of mass advertising with the accuracy of niche marketing in delivering messages, is the first step in implementing our digital out of home strategy”, added Ghai.

Al Barq Digital screens will carry advertising for DFC’s retail partners’ in-store promotions and services, which amount to 600 stores and retail sites, across 2.8m sq ft; as well as other advertisers keen to target the two million monthly mall visitors. The technology behind this innovative digital screen network enables advertisers to change and tailor messaging by event, location, audience, and time of day.

“Digital signage is no longer about placing a television screen on the wall and sending a graphic to it. Location, audience, time of day, and type of content – they all change the landscape of digital out of home advertising”, said Andrew Wood, General Manager, AD Media DOOH. "Our mandate is to help advertisers reach consumers, when and where it matters. We are committed to bringing the most advanced services and products in digital signage to the market, and setting new standards in the regional digital outdoor media space”, concluded Wood.

“Bringing the Al Barq Digital network into the mall is part of our wider efforts to transition to digital. We recognize the value of this innovative service which makes it easy for us to create and implement targeted promotions quickly and efficiently”, remarked Tom Miles, Director of Shopping Centers, Al Futtaim Real Estate Dubai Festival City .

The benefits provided by the new network have a far bigger impact. Committed to championing accountability, Al Barq endeavours to ensure constant monitoring and regular campaign reporting, in order to deliver real value and reassurance for advertisers.

Following its launch in July, Al Barq is set to create a fast-expanding network of their screens and unique interactive Digital Media Units in many of the prominent shopping malls, airports and exhibition centres in the UAE and Middle East, with more than 300 screens to be turned on by Q1 of 2011.

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Abu Dhabi Media Company ( ADMC ) is a leading media organization in the Middle East, with businesses in free and pay television, radio, publishing, digital media, games, feature films, music, digital signage, outside broadcast/production, and printing. The company manages over 20 market-leading brands such as the TV channels Abu Dhabi Al Oula and Abu Dhabi Riyadiya/AD Sports, Emirate FM and Star FM radio stations, Al Ittihad and The National newspapers, Majid and Zahrat Al Khaleej magazines, anazahra.com, Imagenation Abu Dhabi, LIVE, and United Printing Press. ADMC partners with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment on VEVO, the online music video platform, and has a first in the region MMOG joint-venture with Gazillion Entertainment. ADMC is headquartered in Abu Dhabi, with offices in Beirut, Cairo, Dubai and Jeddah. www.admedia.ae

For media information, please contact:
Julia Purcaru
Abu Dhabi Media Company
Email: julia.purcaru@admedia.ae
Tel: +971 50 6505618

© Press Release 2010