A visit to Cabsat 2012 in Dubai this week has showed me just how different the broadcast industry in the Middle East is to that in Europe.
My impressions of Dubai itself were positive: affluence, modernity and a society that welcomes people from all parts of the world. In the media sphere, it has developed into an important hub for the region as a whole through Dubai Media City, which this year celebrates its 11th anniversary.
Not to be outdone, its UAE neighbour Abu Dhabi has a similar hub, named twofour54. Both had a strong presence at Cabsat 2012.
However, the Middle East is a broadcast market – unlike Europe – where to all extents and purposes satellite, and in particular FTA DTH, is king. It was instructive to note the presence of both leading regional players such as Arabsat and Nilesat alongside global ones like SES and Eutelsat at the show.
What is important to note is that tend to partner up in some of their activities rather than work entirely independently.
One company worth keeping a particularly close eye on is YahLive, a 65/35 joint venture between Yasat and SES. It offers capacity on Y1A, which is being developed into what is probably the world’s first satellite carrying only HD channels.
In commercial operation since only the end of last year, Y1A already offers viewers over 30 channels in the format, with one of the latest to join being – in what is a regional first – the Cartoon Network Arabic channel.
From a CEE perspective, exhibitors at Cabsat 2012 were essentially limited to a few companies from Russia (including Gazprom) and the Czech Republic. Their number will surely grow in the years to come as does the market, now billed as the Middle East’s largest digital media and satellite event.
