streaming platform Archives

Netflix, MBC’s Shahid launch first Arabic streaming bundle

Netflix will team up with MBC Group’s Shahid, the world’s biggest Arabic content streaming platform, to offer a joint subscription bundle via MBCNOW.

The offer is already available in Saudi Arabia, with a wider rollout planned across the MENA region, The National reports.

The first regional agreement of its kind steps up the increasingly-fierce competition for Arabic-language viewers, after U.S. media giant Warner Bros. Discovery bought a one-third stake in Dubai streaming company OSN in March for $57 million.

Demand for Arabic-language content grew by 16 times between 2020 to 2024, according to research by Parrot Analytics and Rise Studios.

The Weekly Circuit: Miami Beach awaits Trump + PIF funds Blavatnik’s DAZN

In the Weekly Circuit today, we’re looking at the PIF’s investment in Len Blavatnik’s DAZN streaming platform, Oman’s planned $333 million IPO for its Asyad shipping business, the first stage of construction for NEOM’s desert city and an interview with Emirates CCO and Deputy President Adnan Kazim. But first, waiting for Trump in Miami.

While world attention zeroes in on U.S. President Donald Trump’s appearance today in Miami, investors will be watching the parade of CEOs who also take the stage this week at Saudi Arabia’s FII Priority Summit 2025.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund and Trump’s occasional golf partner, has assembled a robust line-up of Wall Street dealmakers to lead the panels and after-hours soirées at the Faena Hotel & Forum overlooking Miami Beach.

The three-day conference formally opens today at 5 p.m. EST with Trump’s address, which will be live-streamed on the Future Investment Initiative’s website.

Al-Rumayyan, who is also Chairman of the FII, Chairman of Saudi Aramco and Chairman of the PIF-backed LIV Golf league, will kick off the conference portion of the event on Thursday morning in an onstage chat with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

Following on the schedule is a panel on how businesses can operate better amid political disorder, led by Princess Reema Bandar Al Saud, the Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Among those joining the discussion will be Nir Bar Dea, CEO of Bridgewater Associates; Ben Horowitz, Co-Founder & General Partner of Andreessen Horowitz; and Jenny Johnson, President & CEO of Franklin Templeton.

Later are discussions featuring Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih; Miami Mayor Francis Suarez; Citadel Founder and CEO Kenneth Griffin; Oracle CEO Safra Katz and Dina Powell McCormick, Vice Chair and President of BDT & MSD Partners.

Another match-up that will be watched globally is a chat on economic cooperation in the Middle East between Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Founder & CEO of Affinity Partners; and Steve Witkoff, the new White House Middle East Envoy.

Welcome to the Weekly Circuit: Kindly let us know your thoughts and feedback by replying to this newsletter or emailing us at [email protected].

circuit interview

Emirates seeks to expand its routes, increase the use of sustainable fuel

Adnan Kazim, Emirates Chief Commercial Officer and Deputy President (Credit: Emirates)

Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, is pushing to expand its routes to Europe, Asia and Africa, while coping with delays in new aircraft deliveries from Boeing and Airbus.

In an interview with The Circuit, Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer and Deputy President, said the UAE flag carrier is also focused on increasing its use of reduced-carbon Sustainable Airline Fuel (SAF), though supplies remain low.

“While SAF remains a priority for us, it is currently too expensive, costing two to three times more than conventional jet fuel,” Kazim said during the interview last week on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai. “However, we are committed to being part of the solution and will adopt SAF wherever it becomes commercially viable.”

Click here to read the full interview.

import-export

UAE and Ukraine sign free-trade deal amid efforts to end war

Signing ceremony at the Qasr Al Shati palace in Abu Dhabi on Monday (WAM)

The UAE signed a free-trade agreement with Ukraine amidst a joint U.S.-Saudi effort to bring Russia’s three-year war in the country to a close.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed witnessed the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement on Monday at the Qasr Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi, The Circuit reports .

Under terms of the pact, 99% of Ukrainian imports from the UAE and 97% of Ukrainian exports to the UAE will be exempt from customs duties.

Click here to read the full story.

💲 Sovereign Circuit

Public Investment Fund: SURJ, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund’s sports investment arm, acquired a minority stake in billionaire Len Blavatnik’s London-based DAZN and aims to strengthen the streaming platform’s presence in the Middle East.

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority: Lenskart, an Indian optical retailer valued at $10 billion and backed by ADIA, is planning to file for an IPO valued at $1 billion.

Masdar: The UAE-owned sustainable energy company signed a framework agreement with Paris-based TotalEnergies and Abu Dhabi’s EPointZero to accelerate decarbonization and access to clean energy in emerging markets across Africa and Asia. Attending the signing in Paris on Sunday were Masdar Chairman Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; TotalEnergies Chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné, and Group CEO of 2PointZero Mariam Almheiri.

Qatar Investment Fund: Qatar will invest $10 billion in India and the QIA will open an office in the country as part of a series of agreements signed during a visit to New Delhi by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, who met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

↪↩ Closing Circuit

🌸 Fragrant Franchise: U.S. private equity firm General Atlantic agreed to buy a stake in the Kayali perfume division of Dubai-based cosmetics company Huda Beauty for an undisclosed sum.

🚗 EV Parts: Saudi electric vehicle maker Ceer announced that it signed deals worth almost $1.5 billion over the past week to manufacture parts for both domestic and international companies.

🇺🇸 Housing Boom: Bahrain-based asset manager Investcorp Capital expanded its U.S. real estate portfolio with a $300 million acquisition of four housing properties in Texas and Oklahoma.

🇪🇬 Egyptian Frontier: Emaar Properties plans to invest another $7 billion in Egypt over the next three years, bringing its total investments in the country to $25 billion, founder Mohamed Alabbar told Al Arabiya in a television interview.

🗣 Circuit Chatter

🛫 Down Under: An Australian regulatory agency gave its approval to an alliance between Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia, which plans to run 28 flights a week between Doha and four Australian cities.

🍼 Family Friendly: Some UAE firms are now offering up to a year of maternity leave as a means of retaining talent, The National reports. The standard maternity leave in the UAE private sector is just 60 days.

💸 Asset Adviser: German asset manager Patrizia, with $58 billion in assets, has been granted regulatory approval to operate in Abu Dhabi’s ADGM, enabling it to advise and arrange investments in the Middle East.

🛡️ Showing Up: Some 29 Israeli firms are participating in Abu Dhabi’s IDEX defense expo this week, including Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems and Heven Drones, The National reports.

🌍 Power Circuit

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday in Riyadh, where they talked about peace efforts in Gaza and Ukraine.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed met with Denis Manturov, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister, on Sunday. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, the Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs, attended the meeting. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, also met with Manturov on a separate occasion attended by Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE.

Jordan’s Princess Iman bint Abdullah II and her husband, Jameel Alexander Thermiotis, welcomed a baby girl, Princess Amina, Queen Rania announced on Instagram on Sunday.

➿ On the Circuit

Saad Alfadly, the CEO of Hassana Investment Co., Saudi Arabia’s $320 billion pension fund manager, will step down later this year after 12 years in the job, Bloomberg reports.

Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov spoke at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies in Saudi Arabia ahead of talks between Russia and the United States in the kingdom. Mohamed Al Hussaini, UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs, participated in the AlUla Conference.

Jennifer Lopez sang on Tuesday at the launch event for the 131-story Burj Azizi in Dubai, which will be the world’s second-tallest tower when it is expected to be completed in 2028.

🎶 Culture Circuit

🎾 Hit Miss: Novak Djokovic suffered a stunning first-round defeat against World number 35 Matteo Berrettini at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha yesterday. It was the Italian’s first win over the former World No. 1, who was forced to retire from the Australian Open semi-finals with a hamstring injury in January. Djokovic has not lost a first-round match since 2022.

📷 Photo of the Week

**U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio** met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday at the Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh. (Getty Images)

🗓️ Ahead on The Circuit

Feb. 17-21, Abu Dhabi: IDEX 2025. Military contractors from around the world show their wares at one of the most prominent international defense exhibitions. ADNEC Center.

Feb. 17-21, Dubai. Gulf Food. In its 30th edition, the exhibition brings in many more companies to show their work on food and the industry’s use of technology. Dubai World Trade Center.

Feb. 19-20, Dubai. IDC Middle East. Examining how to design AI-fueled businesses. Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Feb. 19-21, Miami, Fla. FII Priority. Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative conference connects U.S. and Middle Eastern investors. Faena Hotel & Forum, Miami Beach.

Feb. 21-22, Doha. Visit Qatar E1 Doha GP 2025. Round Two of the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF. The Pearl Island, Qatar.

Feb. 18-19, Abu Dhabi. The Future of Asset Management Middle East. A two-day conference that gathers leading executives from top asset management companies in the Middle East region. The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Canal.

Feb. 19-20, Dubai. IDC Middle East. Examining how to design AI-fueled businesses. Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Feb. 21-22, Doha. Visit Qatar E1 Doha GP 2025. Round Two of the UIM E1 Motorboat World Championship presented by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. The Pearl Island, Qatar.

Feb. 25, Dubai. Family Office Summit 2025. Global fund leaders managing $1 trillion in assets will meet under the theme, “Taking Money Out of Cash.” Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach.

Feb. 25-March 1, Dubai. WCA World 2025. The conference brings together some of the world’s biggest independent freight forwarders. Dubai World Trade Centre.

Feb. 26-27, Abu Dhabi. Investopia 2025. The fourth edition of the summit, to be held under the theme “Leveraging the Power of Massive Investments.” St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi.

March 17-19, Dubai. Dubai International Horse Fair. A gathering of the equestrian industry and horse lovers from around the world. Dubai World Trade Centre.