UAE-based Starzplay, the Middle East and North Africa's fastest-growing video streaming service, will partner with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio) to establish its headquarters in the UAE capital.
The partnership is part of Adio’s Dh2 billion ($545 million) Innovation Programme, an initiative of the Abu Dhabi government’s Ghadan 21 accelerator programme.
Under the programme, Adio awarded Starzplay financial incentives, including rebates on high-skilled payroll, tech-related capital expenditure and other operating expenditure, according to a joint statement on Thursday. Non-financial incentives include help with establishing the headquarters and engaging with Abu Dhabi partners.
Setting up its headquarters in the UAE's capital will allow Starzplay to boost the production of regionally relevant original content for its audiences, the company said.
"With our new headquarters in Abu Dhabi, we are excited about producing more original content through enhanced media partnerships," Maaz Sheikh, chief executive and co-founder of Starzplay, said.
Abu Dhabi is planning to invest Dh22bn over the next five years in its cultural and creative industries as it seeks to reduce its economic reliance on oil, create new jobs and attract talent. The move comes as the emirate emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic with a sharper focus on high value-added sectors as it reduces its dependence on oil revenue.
"Abu Dhabi’s creative sector is rapidly taking shape with significant government investment, a steady flow of skilled talent and sound infrastructure to fuel the ambitions of creators and businesses," Tariq Bin Hendi, director general of Adio, said.
Adio's Innovation Programme targets companies and start-ups in sectors including ICT, financial services, health services and biopharma, agriculture technology and tourism.
"We are here to help businesses aligned with our vision and fast-track their progress through support for R&D, while ensuring they are suitably equipped to grow sustainably on the global stage," Mr Bin Hendi said.
Starzplay will build up partnerships with the emirate's media and creative companies to offer exclusive, in-demand content to its subscribers, according to the statement.
The company will partner with local production houses and animation studios to produce original content, particularly aimed at Arab youth, the region's biggest demographic. This builds on its existing tie-ups with Abu Dhabi Media, twofour54 and Image Nation Abu Dhabi.
As part of its partnership with Adio, Starzplay will build a private cloud in Abu Dhabi to meet the growing consumer demand in the region, according to the statement.
It will also offer its private cloud to other media companies as a fully managed and turnkey over-the-top (OTT) service.
To support its Abu Dhabi operations, Starzplay is also planning to build a technology team of artificial intelligence engineers and data scientists.
"Building the new cloud facility will bring us closer to our fans to serve them with a richer and more personalised experience," Mr Sheikh said.
In February, Starzplay secured $25m in debt financing from Abu Dhabi-based Ruya Partners, an independent alternative investment firm focused on private credit in developing markets, as the Covid-19 pandemic fuels demand for home entertainment.
The number of subscribers stands at just over 1.8 million in 20 countries, providing it with a 32 per cent market share of the subscription video on demand (SVOD) services in the Mena region.
Starzplay, which was founded in 2015, has secured $125m in equity funding through Starz, a Lionsgate company, State Street Global Advisers and technology investment firms SEQ Capital Partners and Delta Partners.
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Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United: Lingard (53', 90' 1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')
Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Salah in numbers
€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.
13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.
57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.
7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.
3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.
40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.
30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.
8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
