MGM - Hollywood's lion - roars in Jordan with Rubicon

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), and Rubicon, Jordan's pioneering animation, edutainment and multimedia company, announced today a new multi-level business alliance that continues to further the Kingdom's growth in the entertainment business. The MGM Rubicon initiative is designed to create multiple business activities throughout the region while also impacting local and regional employment opportunities.

The agreement, announced at the Royal Automobile Museum in Amman, was entered into by Travis Rutherford, Executive Vice President for MGM, and Randa Ayoubi, Chief Executive Officer for Rubicon. His Majesty King Abdullah deputized His Royal Highness Prince Ali bin al Hussein, Chairman of the Royal Film Commission, to attend the signing ceremony and reception.

The terms of the strategic business relationship between MGM and Rubicon will initially target three specific areas of business. First is the financing and co-production of Pink Panther & Pals (PP&P), an animated television series based on MGM's Pink Panther characters. Rubicon will share in the revenue generated from MGM's international distribution of the property and will also be charged with developing regional licensing and merchandising opportunities for the joint production. The partnership will also explore financing and co-production opportunities for a variety of media, entertainment projects and properties in the Middle East and North Africa.

Secondly, Rubicon will serve as the exclusive MGM licensing and merchandising agent in the Greater Middle East and North Africa regions and, as such, will oversee the creation and development of products and services for other MGM entertainment properties in these areas.

Third, Rubicon will explore Location Based Entertainment ("LBE") opportunities for the MGM brand, combining MGM's LBE concepts such as theme parks and mixed-use real estate ventures with Rubicon's broad geographic and cultural knowledge and its relationships in the region which will help to facilitate LBE business ventures. Similarly, MGM will seek to include Rubicon's localized content along with MGM's library of more than 4,000 films and television programs as a rich resource catalogue for use in LBE opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa.

The deal also includes the signing on the Term Sheet for MGM to carry out worldwide distribution of Rubicon's first 13 episodes of Ben & Izzy.

"As an iconic entertainment brand, MGM has always set the standard for quality entertainment and brand extension," said MGM's Rutherford. "We're excited to be in partnership with Rubicon and look forward to positioning MGM and Pink Panther & Pals in the Middle East. Moreover, it gives me great personal satisfaction to know that in addition to this partnership being good business; it will also create high value jobs that will ensure the further the growth of Jordan's entertainment industry."

Rubicon's Chairman Fawaz H. Zu'bi, said: "I have always been of the opinion that Jordan is the ideal destination for companies such as MGM to forge solid and long-lasting relationships that are mutually beneficial. With entrepreneurs who are hard working and who have discipline, determination and vision, Jordan offers skill, a dynamic talent pool and a very vibrant springboard to the Middle East Region."

Rubicon Chief Executive Officer, Randa Ayoubi, said: "This landmark alliance is testimony to Rubicon's ability to leverage Jordanian talent to create world-class content that is now attracting global attention. This alliance cements Rubicon's and Jordan's stature, opening the door for a chain reaction of opportunities that will take Jordan to the next level in entertainment and content provisioning. It will assert Rubicon's position as a leading media and entertainment player and a dominant content provider to the Greater Middle East and North Africa markets. All of this is good news for Jordan and its dynamic, creative talent."

Ayoubi continued: "A brand new industry has been created in Jordan , an industry that would take us higher up in the value chain. We did not need to take this success anywhere else in the region to make it shine; we chose to plant it here in Amman."

Numerous personalities from Amman's elite business community and senior executives from MGM Studios were in attendance at the announcement ceremony. Following the ceremony, a reception was held in honor of MGM's visiting delegation. The audience enjoyed an exclusive show reel about the studio's properties and memorable films and a preview of Rubicon's various productions, including the state-of-the-art children's animation series, Ben & Izzy, which was launched in the U.S. under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania in 2006.

The MGM Rubicon partnership was facilitated and established by Baman Rusby of Atoka International, LLC, a boutique advisory services firm headquartered in Washington , D.C. in cooperation with Charles J. Weber of Los Angeles .

The MGM Rubicon partnership is also being supported by Saraya Holdings, which is heading a group of investors that are injecting a new round of capital into Rubicon. The funding will be used to leverage Rubicon's content & IP creation skill set as well as its 2D and 3D animation production capabilities. Saraya Ventures and the group of investors will also capitalize on the MGM- Rubicon relationship in location based entertainment, theme parks and hotels.