UAE, Dubai- 26 March 2013: With the kick off of the second season of the popular talent and entertainment show Arab Idol on MBC1 and MBC MASR, Yahoo! Maktoob and MBC Group announced a partnership that brings Arab Idol content to Yahoo! Maktoob.  Video, image, and text content, covering the show's highlights, interviews, behind the scenes, and other exclusive content is now found on OMG!'s special Arab Idol destination and on Yahoo! Maktoob Screen, alongside MBC.net for a full digital experience .  

Updated content is available on Yahoo! Maktoob right after the show airs on MBC1 and MBC MASR, providing viewers the chance to catch-up on or re-live the show's best moments while getting to know their favorite candidates and seeing all the backstage excitement.

Christos Mastoras, Director of Business Development of Yahoo! Maktoob, said, "We are excited to be teaming up with MBC Group and bringing premium content of such an incredibly successful show to Yahoo! Maktoob.  Online video consumption is growing at a rapid pace in the region and is part of people's daily activities, and we are thrilled to be adding Arab Idol to our video offering.  Our collaboration with MBC Group gives people the ability to complement their TV viewing with a rich digital resource for a fully enjoyable experience."


This year, the jury panel includes Ragheb Alama, Ahlam, Hassan Al Shafe'i as well as Nancy Ajram as the latest addition to the jury team. As for the presenters of the show, actor and singer Ahmed Fahmy has joined this season alongside Anabella Hilal.

  • Arab Idol destination on Yahoo! Maktoob can be found on:  maktoob.omg.yahoo.com/%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84/

  • Arab Idol Season 2 airs every Friday on MBC1 & MBC MASR at 6:00GMT / 9:00PM KSA.

  • The show's social media platforms include: www.mbc.net/arabidol; Twitter @Arab_Idol & #ArabIdol; and facebook.com/arabidol

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About MBC Group:
MBC Group is the first private free-to-air satellite broadcasting company in the Arab World which was launched in London in 1991 and later moved to its headquarters in Dubai in 2002. Over the past 21 years, MBC Group has grown to become a well-established media group that enriches people's lives through information, interaction and entertainment.  Based in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, MBC Group includes 12 television channels: MBC1 (general family entertainment), MBC2 and MBC MAX (24-hour movies), MBC3 (children's entertainment), MBC4 (entertainment for new Arab women), MBC Action (an indigenous Channel with local and homegrown productions), MBC Persia (24-hour movie channel dubbed in Farsi) , Al Arabiya (the 24-hour Arabic language news channel); Al Arabiya Al Hadath (an extension of Al Arabiya News Channel)； Wanasah (24-hour Arabic music channel);MBC DRAMA offers 24/7 Arabic Drama; and MBC MASR (general family entrainment channel geared towards the Egyptian family).The Group also includes two radio stations: MBC FM (Gulf music), and Panorama FM (contemporary Arabic hit music); as well as O3 productions, a specialized documentary production unit.   It has also several online platforms: www.mbc.net, www.alarabiya.net, www.shahid.net (the first free VOD and catch up portal in the Arab world) and www.actionha.net, among others.

For further information, please contact:
Ruba Al Ayed
Group PR Manager
MBC Group
Direct: +971 4 390 9825
Mobile: +971 56 6038358
Email: ruba.alayed@mbc.net
Website: www.mbc.net

About Yahoo!
Yahoo! is focused on making the world's daily habits more inspiring and entertaining.  By creating highly personalized experiences for our users, we keep people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the world.  In turn, we create value for advertisers by connecting them with the audiences that build their businesses.  Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., and has offices located throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific (APAC) and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the company's blog (yodel.yahoo.com).

Press contacts
Farah Abu-Salah                                                                  
Hill+Knowlton Strategies                                                    
+971 44 33 44 930                                                                             
Farah.Abu-Salah@hkstrategies.com                                              

Tala Toukan
Yahoo! Maktoob
+971 4 445 6283
ttoukan@yahoo-inc.com

© Press Release 2013