Ayman Al Ziyoud will be familiar to fans of Arabic factual TV, and if his face isn't familiar from his stint as host of the hard-hitting talk show Adam, as well as many hosting slots on MBC 1, the shows he now produces under the banner of his Charisma Group production house surely will be. Charisma is responsible for the hit Arabic adaptations of CBS shows Entertainment Tonight and Insider, as well as original programming such as the talk/magazine shows Ya Hala and Fashion Time, and his productions are screened across the region by broadcasters including MBC, LBC and Rotana.
Charisma doesn't just deal in factual programming, the company was also behind hits such as the successful 2010 drama Touq, and the 2008 Saudi movie Menahi, which was bought by Rotana and screened in parks and malls across the kingdom, making it the first movie to be publicly screened in Saudi since cinemas were banned three decades earlier.
Al Ziyoud has had a long and auspicious career, although his entry into the media industry came as a news editor in the little-known French language radio branch of Jordan Radio and TV, cutting and splicing tapes together to make up the day's news broadcasts. From there, his voice landed him a spot as a presenter, and he soon moved to TV, eventually ending up as a key figure at MBC, both on screen and behind the scenes. Al Ziyoud produced many shows for MBC as well as hosting them and he would eventually go on to oversee the launch of the broadcast giant's digital operation in the mid-2000s.
Al Ziyoud formed Charisma in 2005 while at MBC, going full time with his baby in 2009 and taking the copyright to many of his own shows with him. Charisma is now one of the biggest independent production companies in the region, producing, on average, 1,500 hours of original programming a year – and Al Ziyoud says this can stretch to more than 3,000 hours when the company has a big drama in production.
Al Ziyoud was one of the first producers in the region to focus heavily on local content. Contrary to 2018, when MBC is awash with local shows, Netflix is seeking out Arabic content, and organisations like twofour54 are pushing the local content agenda, Al Ziyoud says that in Charisma's early days the main broadcasters were largely focused on bringing in Western content. His talent show, The Album, was one of the first to buck this trend when MBC bought it in 2006, and Al Ziyoud says things have improved a great deal for local producers since then.
He cites the formation of Dubai Media City and twofour54 Abu Dhabi as two key moments in the development of the industry – the former for its success in monetising the media industry, and the latter for bringing world class studios and facilities to the UAE, as well as investing in local talent. Al Ziyoud says there is still a long way to go, however: "Our biggest problem is the lack of a distribution arm for local Arabic content because it's not a fully-fledged industry, and the amount of content produced doesn't really justify it," he says. "It is beginning, though. Turkey has been importing some Arab dramas – they have a similar culture, a similar level of aspiration – but it's slow. There's still a lack of an industry, and although it is growing, not much makes it beyond the region."
Given that Al Ziyoud's first success, The Album, was an entirely homegrown show, and his assertion that there is now growing demand for local content, it perhaps seems strange that the major broadcasters' more recent forays into talent show TV have largely consisted of Arabian versions of popular Western formats like The Voice and Pop Idol, while two of Charisma's most successful shows are Arab versions of popular CBS magazine shows. The producer doesn't see a contradiction: "I don't think it's an obsession [with adapting Western formats] – these formats travel all over the world," he says. "It's a success story, like McDonald's. You franchise it and it comes with all the know-how, and it's an easier sell to advertisers because it's established in other markets. I think it's purely a business decision, and an excellent offering for viewers."
The recent announcement that Saudi cinemas are to reopen could also lead to dramatic change within the local production industry, and Al Ziyoud admits that the opening up of the region's biggest market is something he'll be watching closely. "Saudi cinemas will be a huge boon for the whole industry, but they need to start slowly," he says.
Currently, the producer surmises that if Saudi Arabia is in too much of a rush to fill cinemas with its own productions, it could be self-defeating. “If they just start putting out content without the experience and skills in directing, editing, storytelling, people will be very excited at first, but they’ll get bored after a month. It really could kill the industry before it’s born, so slowly is the key.”
Another common question among observers of the nascent Saudi media industry is exactly what kind of movies will be allowed in the traditionally ultra-conservative kingdom, but Al Ziyoud doesn't seem concerned about the issue of censorship. "I think what passes in the UAE will pass in Saudi," he says. "Saudi is changing really rapidly and wants to give people more freedom. When it comes to media in general, our role is to push boundaries, talk about taboos. You can already do that on TV – we covered all sorts of personal, religious, intimate issues on [Al Ziyoud's talk show] Adam, and if it's done responsibly, you choose the right words, you don't offend society, it's accepted."
Al Ziyoud ends on a philosophical note. “I have a big motto that I live by,” he says. “Live and let live. I think that’s increasingly becoming the case all around the region, and even in the last year things have evolved a lot, especially in Saudi Arabia, where the level of openness and acceptance has become more personalised and less controlled, as long as it doesn’t harm society. So let’s live and let live.”
________________
Read more:
FAQ: Cinemas to open in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia to open cinemas for first time in 35 years
Escape to the movies: how Saudi cinema ban benefits UAE tourism
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The%20Little%20Mermaid%20
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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HOW%20TO%20ACTIVATE%20THE%20GEMINI%20SHORTCUT%20ON%20CHROME%20CANARY
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How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
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Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
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EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
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Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
Joker: Folie a Deux
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Director: Todd Phillips
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
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