Page 77 - CABSAT ENGLISH PR REPORT - FEBRUARY to MAY 2023

shared by Maria Rua Aguete, Senior Research Director of UK-based research company
Omdia.
Tony Saab, SVP of Content and Strategic Partnerships at Starzplay, emphasised the
value of Co-Production Salon in the sector, stating: " The industry needs an initiative like
the Co-Production Salon. Finding appropriate potential content partners was made
simpler for us as the businesses selected to join have already been pre-filtered using a
set of criteria.”
Around 20 companies, selected based on specific criteria such as number of hours
produced, ability to co-fund/invest or having produced for a broadcasting entity excluding
social media, participated in the Salon, which facilitated over 240 high-quality meetings,
encouraging discussions on co-funding and rights sharing. Leading platforms and
production houses actively sought high-quality producers to commission new projects and
explore innovative ideas.

Prominent media entities participated at HCONSULT’s Co-Production Salon at CABSAT,
including the MENA region's biggest Arabic production houses, such as Cedars Art, MBC
Studios, Eagle Films, VOX Studios, Arab Telemedia Group, and over 20 other Arabic
production powerhouses spanning Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE,
and Oman. Along with Starzplay, all major regional streaming platforms were present,
from Shahid to OSN, and Jawwy (Saudi Telecom), and 10 others. Additionally, major
international companies like Paramount, Entertainment Studios from the US, Greenstone
from New Zealand, Zee Entertainment from India, and Yandex from Russia attended,
demonstrating a global interest in the initiative.

Elena Brodskaya, Head of International Content Strategy at Yandex, a MENA-based
entertainment super app and one of the leading platforms in the CIS region, expressed
her enthusiasm for the venture. She said: "For Yandex, as a newcomer to the market,
attending the Co-Production Salon at CABSAT was extremely insightful. Meeting with
best-in-class producers, top managers of leading streaming services and creators at one
place was the best way to get a deep dive into the market, learn the latest local trends
and make invaluable professional connections."

William Page, Chief Strategy Officer of 1001, the fastest-growing VOD platform in Iraq,
also expressed the value of participating, adding: "It was an honour to participate in the
MENA region's second Co-Production Salon workshop at CABSAT in Dubai, which was
meticulously organised by Heba Korayem. At 1001, we are relentlessly committed to
delivering diverse, engaging and high-quality content to our rapidly expanding viewer
base. Our participation in this workshop was primarily centred on identifying content
partners that align with our mission and our viewers' needs. The selection of companies
at the Co-Production Salon precisely mirrored our requirements, positioning us on the
right track towards achieving our objectives of building robust partnerships and further
accelerating our growth."

Korayem expressed her satisfaction with the event, stating: "The second edition of the
Co-Production Salon has once again showcased the immense potential of collaboration
in our industry. The engagement and interest from companies in this edition have been
exceptional. We’ve recorded over 240 meetings taking place, and from our previous
experience, due to the quality of pre-arranged meetings, the ratio is that one deal is closed

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