Al Arabiya News Network, in partnership with MBC Media Solutions (MMS), the commercial arm of MBC Group, announced the launch of the new digital content brand ‘Akthar,’ designed to expand its digital content offering and target the region’s increasingly digital-savvy media consumers.

The eight new shows focus on a variety of youth-focused topics that include healthcare, food, travel, automotive, politics, and more.

“Al Arabiya’s own slogan ‘Know More’ has given rise to our new social brand Akhtar. We believe that news audiences want to explore more about their world with us. We help our audiences know more of what they need – so they can share it with their friends and be better informed about their world,” said Jamie Angus, Chief Operating Officer of Al Arabiya News Network, in his opening speech at the launch event in Dubai.

Angus also highlighted that the launch of Akthar is in line with the network’s journey to becoming a digital-first organization.

“It’s become a cliché to say that younger audiences go to social media for everything they need – of course, it’s more complicated than that. But we know that to keep our market-leading position, we have to show that we’re serious about making the best programs for social and to hire the best teams to do that,” he added. 

Fahad Al Zoghibi, Chief Information Officer at Al Arabiya Network, said, “Al Arabiya is one of the most online-viewed news networks globally, with 38 million video views and 5.2 million followers across all platforms (as of October 2022). This shows that there is an opportunity to launch a brand like Akthar, to target more interests and more age groups, across more platforms. At the end of the day, news is not only about politics, crime, and local/international events. It is about automotive, travel, health, technology, simple finance, and much more,” said Al Zoghibi.

Ahmed Al Sahhaf, CEO of MMS said the launch of Akthar means more opportunities for brands to reach their audiences. “We are delighted with the launch of Akthar, and congratulate Al Arabiya on the kickoff of their new digital brand. As the exclusive advertising representatives of Al Arabiya, we look forward to supporting brands in connecting with their audiences through Akthar’s diverse and rich content line-up, across digital and social media platforms.”