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High-value deals predicted after Co-Production Salon successfully
concludes second edition at CABSAT 2023
31/05/2023
Or The three-day event witnessed 240 meetings between prominent media entities of the MENA region
Dubai, May 31, 2023 – HCONSULT, a leading content market specialist in the Arabic-speaking MENA region, successfully concluded the
highly anticipated second edition of its exclusive initiative, Co-Production Salon, in collaboration with CABSAT, at the Dubai World Trade
Centre (DWTC).
CABSAT, the îagship event for content creation, production, distribution, digital media, satellite communication and space technology,
teamed up with HCONSULT to host the second annual MENA region’s Co-Production Salon at the 29th edition of the show, which was
held from May 16-18, 2023.
The írst Co-Production Salon, held in 2022, witnessed the participation of over 40 companies, including reputed international platforms,
TV channels, production houses, and private investors. This year's edition, located in an invite-only area of the three-day show, oìered a
dedicated meeting lounge to encourage investments in long-form entertainment content to and from the MENA region, including series
and ílms, through collaborative eìorts between the largest regional and international media entities.
Kicking oì the event, the írst day set the stage for productive and engaging experiences. Key highlights included an exclusive
presentation by the founder of the Co-Production Salon, Arabic content market expert Heba Korayem, who shared valuable insights on
the MENA region's Ramadan peak TV month, which is estimated to be worth a staggering USD 0.5 billion . This was followed by an analysis
by Rafal Radawiec, CEO of Polish AI-powered security company Vestigit, of piracy’s impact on the Ramadan content production industry in
2023. Additionally, insights on the growth of FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television) and ad-supported content monetisation in
MENA were 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-íltered using a set of criteria.”
Around 20 companies, selected based on speciíc 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
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