Shahriar Shahabi of Big Brand Media, develops engagement strategies between companies, their products and consumers. Pawan Singh / The National
Shahriar Shahabi of Big Brand Media, develops engagement strategies between companies, their products and consumers. Pawan Singh / The National

Shaking up online ad world



The dotcom boom fuelled some dream projects for Shahriar Shahabi before the bubble burst at the turn of the century.

The Iranian-Canadian raised millions of dollars for his web-based ventures and sold them at a profit.

When the boom ended, he travelled the world for three years, doing nothing.

"That's one of the luxuries of having money," Mr Shahabi says, sitting at the high table with a cup of coffee at the cafeteria of his new office space in one of Dubai's corporate towers.

From his windowless, one-room office he runs a new company, Big Brand Media, with three 20-something team members. The company's first venture Ezeliving.com produces video clips on subjects such as lifestyle and health for its web TV.

The two-to-four-minute videos offer a two-way communication, market a product or service for companies, and engage consumers by focusing on value. "Advertisements on the Web do not work," Mr Shahabi says.

"But storytelling on the Web does sell, and consumers believe a third party, and we will get the community involved."

Web-based platforms such as Mr Shahabi's are set for good viewing results as analysts expect the UAE to become a hub for internet-based enterprises.

A report last year from Dubai Internet City and the consultancy Frost & Sullivan said 185 similar ventures would launch from the Emirates each year until 2015.

Big Brand Media targets small to medium enterprises as its clients and three-quarters of their 25 clients are SMEs.

"The Web is so big now and expensive that for SMEs to become visible on web would cost them thousands of dollars, and even multinational companies don't get it," Mr Shahabi, 42, says.

His company has signed up with five hospitals in Dubai Health Care City as well as NMC Hospital. It does weekly shows for its Ezehealth channel. For NMC, it has produced videos on issues such as cataracts, cervical cancer and glaucoma.

"It is a great way for us to connect our super specialists to our patients and potential patients [and] it is a form of 'pull' marketing where patients seek information about us as opposed to the conventional and more intrusive 'push' marketing, such as advertisements," says Nirman Shetty, the president of corporate affairs at NMC Healthcare.

Mr Shetty says one of the key elements to such exposure is to get more content that will drive more visitors that, in turn, will drive more content.

Ezeliving.com has widened its scope by identifying eight topics on which the website features its videos - automobile, gadgets, food, fashion, travel, glamour, decor and health.

Mr Shahabi's clients, such as the hospitals, pay Dh3,500 per episode for a year, which are free for people to view. The Ezeliving.com team does the shooting, editing and uploading on the Web, besides guaranteeing 50,000 to 100,000 web views in 30 days.

It has already signed up Paris Gallery for its glamour channel, Choithram Supermarket and Department Store for its food channel, and National Paints for its decor section. And it is looking to partner a gym for its fitness channel and airlines for its travel section.

The number of unique visitors to the site has gone up to 2.3 million, with 1.3 million from the Emirates alone, since its commercial launch in January.

So far Mr Shahabi has invested Dh350,000 in the ventures and says bookings have amounted to Dh1 million since then.

He wants Big Brand Media to be a Dh10m company in two years, and to roll out a franchise model.

The company will have a presence in 10 major cities - such as New York, London, Shanghai, Singapore and Cairo.

He is also looking for an investment of US$5m by the end of this year.

With the funding, Mr Shahabi wants to hire journalists and broadcasters to the team.

As a serial entrepreneur who enjoys Dubai's high living standards, he wants to see the evolution of a more entrepreneur-friendly environment.

"We have to create a culture of risk-taking [with] no fear of failure," he says. "We have to move from the culture of consumerism to creationism."

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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THE SPECS

Engine: six-litre W12 twin-turbo

Transmission: eight-speed dual clutch auto

Power: 626bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh940,160 (plus VAT)

On sale: Q1 2020

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.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners

Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
Going grey? A stylist's advice

If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”

How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Key fixtures from January 5-7

Watford v Bristol City

Liverpool v Everton

Brighton v Crystal Palace

Bournemouth v AFC Fylde or Wigan

Coventry v Stoke City

Nottingham Forest v Arsenal

Manchester United v Derby

Forest Green or Exeter v West Brom

Tottenham v AFC Wimbledon

Fleetwood or Hereford v Leicester City

Manchester City v Burnley

Shrewsbury v West Ham United

Wolves v Swansea City

Newcastle United v Luton Town

Fulham v Southampton

Norwich City v Chelsea

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5