The second edition of Dubai PodFest, the region’s largest gathering of podcasters, witnessed the launch of four new podcast channels targeted at a regional audience. The new channels launched with the support of Dubai Press Club are part of a series of initiatives aimed at spurring the growth of the Arab world’s podcasting sector and reinforcing Dubai’s position as a key media and digital content production hub.

The newly-launched podcast channels include ‘Dubai Originals’ , ‘Annahar’, ‘Istikana’ and ‘Min Alb Joelle’.

Her Excellency Mona Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council and President of DPC, said that guided by the directives of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, Dubai Press Club is keen to forge constructive partnerships with leading media institutions across the Arab world. These partnerships form part of DPC’s commitment to encourage public-private sector cooperation that can help accelerate digital media development. Dubai's world-class technology infrastructure provides the ideal base for the audio content industry to raise their competitiveness and quality benchmarks, she noted

“Dubai Press Club’s support for the new channels is aligned with our vision for media industry development as well as our strategy to nurture the development of high-quality audio content in the Arab world. The launch of the channels at Dubai PodFest, reflects Dubai’s commitment to provide the support necessary for digital media entrepreneurs and creatives to thrive. Dubai strongly believes in the media’s role in both advancing economic growth and promoting social and cultural development,” Al Marri further said.

Telling the Dubai success story
A premium channel for podcasts and video talk shows, ‘Dubai Originals’ was launched by the region’s leading creative and multimedia production hub JBM Studio. The channel will tell the stories behind the city’s remarkable successes in various spheres and its rise as a destination for talent and visionary entrepreneurs. It will also highlight Dubai’s growing global profile as the city of the future.

Furthermore, Dubai Originals podcasts will feature developments in vital industries driving Dubai’s dynamic economy and explore its exciting cultural landscape. The channel will also feature interviews with personalities in diverse areas including the arts, music, youth, sports, entertainment, entrepreneurship, food, technology, innovation, health and wellness.

Benjamin Monie, Co-Founder of JBM Studio, said: “Dubai Originals is purely dedicated to sharing the incredible people and experiences that make Dubai such an eclectic epicentre of wonder. The original content that will be produced for Dubai Originals will give people around the world an in-depth look into the culture of Dubai and its future-thinking mindset and will be a celebration of the people and happenings that make it a hub of possibility.”
“In just 50 years, Dubai has become home to an endless amount of amazing people, events, projects and businesses and the unique stories that lie within these success stories deserve a platform to be shared with the world. Dubai Originals will do just that.” Monie added.

Raising Arab media excellence
Lebanon’s Annahar Media Corporation launched a podcast channel designed to expand and deepen its content offering, consolidating its status as a leading player in the Lebanese media sector.

Nayla Tueni, Chairman and CEO of Annahar Media Corporation, said she is proud of her organisation’s long-standing partnership with the Dubai Press Club. The launch of the Dubai office of ‘Annahar Al Arabi’ news platform earlier this year has contributed to further strengthening ties between the two organisations and enhanced Annahar Media Corporation’s contributions to raising excellence in Arab media, she noted.

Tueni said that the new channel will feature daily and weekly news content covering local, regional and global issues in areas ranging from politics and society to the economy and the arts. “Annahar looks forward to developing high-quality content that contributes to sharing knowledge in the Arab region and enriching the podcasting industry,” she said.

Youth-focused content
The Dubai PodFest also saw the launch of ‘Istikana’, the first official podcast of the Arabian Radio Network (ARN), the region's largest radio network. The programme, aimed at producing content that can inspire the region’s youth, will feature conversations with leading decision-makers from various sectors and human-interest stories drawn from around the Arab world.
Targeted at Arab youth across, the weekly podcast, to be presented by journalist Abdullah Salem, and offered across digital platforms, will be produced at ARN’s state-of-the-art studio located at its headquarters in Dubai Media City.

Mahmoud Al Rasheed, General Manager of the Arabian Radio Network (ARN), expressed his appreciation to HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed for his support for the media industry, which has encouraged ARN to continuously innovate and keep pace with the latest global trends. As a leading Emirati radio network, ARN is committed to further developing its media content offering and will be launching an English-language version of the ‘Istikana’ podcast in the near future.
A multimedia platform, ARN broadcasts daily in six languages through nine of its radio stations, targeting listeners of over 200 nationalities.

Podcast for Women
Lebanese TV show host, entrepreneur and makeup artist Joelle Mardinian also launched her podcast during Dubai PodFest, in collaboration with Rising Giants Network, a story-telling company focused on scripting, producing, and building immersive podcast experiences. The podcast will focus on discussing issues concerning women and the greatest challenges they face. ‘Min Alb Joelle’ will feature experts, including psychologists and life coaches with the objective of empowering women in the Arab world and enhancing their awareness on various key topics.

Joelle Mardinian said she is proud to launch her podcast during the Dubai PodFest, a leading event dedicated to podcasting in the region. She expressed her appreciation to Dubai Press Club for its efforts to develop the region’s media and enhance the podcasting sector. “I’m extremely happy to be launching ‘Min Alb Joelle’, which will be mainly dedicated to sharing knowledge and insightful stories with women in the region. Each episode will cover various issues that are rarely discussed in the Arab world,” she said.