CNN will increase its activities in Abu Dhabi and is doubling the duration of Prism, the daily live news show aired from its production and news-gathering centre in the capital, which opened a year ago.
Senior figures at the network including Tony Maddox, the executive vice president and managing director of CNN, and Richard Quest, the presenter, are in the UAE capital this week to mark the anniversary of the launch.
Mr Maddox described Abu Dhabi as an "area of investment" for CNN.
"You're going to see us increasingly consolidate our Abu Dhabi headquarters," he said. "This is going to be a powerhouse for us … You might see more staff being moved into there. We've scaled back some of our presence in Baghdad … and moved some of those resources to Abu Dhabi."
Prism, CNN's first daily live news show from the region, complements the network's other shows Inside the Middle East and Marketplace Middle East.
Mr Maddox said the duration of Prism would be extended and that it would feature a new anchor. "We're going to extend the show from a 30-minute show to an hour," he said.
"We're currently in talks with a permanent anchor for the show, which will create a lot of buzz in the region … We'll probably bring more business coverage into the show."
More shows could be made in the Middle East. Quest will this week film his show Quest Means Business in the UAE capital.
CNN recently relaunched its Arabic-language website, with input from a greater network of journalists and additional features such as increased video and social content. But the broadcaster said the launch of a dedicated Arabic-language TV news station was not yet on its agenda.
There are two 24-hour Arabic news stations in development: one owned by the Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the other by Sky News. They will join a market dominated by Al Jazeera in Qatar and MBC's Al Arabiya channel.
"A 24-hour [Arabic] TV channel is not currently being considered … We don't feel the need to be in a 24-hour news market just because someone else is there," said Mr Maddox.
CNN has a sales team based in Abu Dhabi and its local advertisers and sponsors include the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, Mubadala Development, a strategic investment company owned by the Abu Dhabi Government, and Emirates Airline.
"All our services generate revenue," said Mr Maddox.
bflanagan@thenational.ae
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
Stoke City v Tottenham
Brentford v Newcastle United
Arsenal v Manchester City
Everton v Manchester United
All ties are to be played the week commencing December 21.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.
As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.
Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.
Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.
Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
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Duminy's Test career in numbers
Tests 46; Runs 2,103; Best 166; Average 32.85; 100s 6; 50s 8; Wickets 42; Best 4-47
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
HEY%20MERCEDES%2C%20WHAT%20CAN%20YOU%20DO%20FOR%20ME%3F
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