MTV Arabia hosts exclusive launch event on November 15

Making their first appearances in the Middle East to celebrate the event will be soul superstar Akon and Grammy award-winning rapper and actor Ludacris, who will take the stage to perform alongside Canadian/Arabic R&B star Karl Wolf. The event will premiere on November 17 as part of MTV Arabia's launch programming line-up.

The show will be the region's first media platform to embrace the world of hip hop, highlighting emerging Arabic hip hop talent for the first time and tapping into the massive popularity of the international hip hop culture across the Middle East.

"The mix of prominent artists at our launch reflects our efforts to bring the foremost international talent to the Middle East, to perform alongside representatives of our language and culture," said Abdullatif al Sayegh, CEO of Arab Media Group.

"MTV Arabia will raise the standard for all youth-related media, and we are confident that this is the beginning of a sea-change in the way that media in the Middle East reach out to young people. It is the youth themselves that have asked for this, in studies and surveys we have conducted throughout the Arab world."

Patrick Samaha, MTV Arabia's General Manager, said: "This launch event will demonstrate the essence of what MTV is bringing to the Middle East - from the MTV brand attitude, to the innovative production style of our shows, to the world class talent we'll be showcasing at our first MTV Arabia show. Having a major hip hop talent like Ludacris come to the region for the first time symbolises that Arabic hip hop has arrived on the global scene through MTV. Akon and Karl Wolf have consistently been named by our audiences as two of their favourite international stars, and MTV is very proud to show that we're serious about reflecting our audiences' passions through fresh and unexpected entertainment experiences."

Bhavneet Singh, Managing Director and Senior Vice President, Emerging Markets, MTV Networks International added: "This event is a fantastic celebration of one of the most important launches in MTV's history, and we're excited to welcome MTV Arabia as the 60th channel in our worldwide MTV network. It's a tremendous honour to welcome Akon and Ludacris to the Middle East along with the very cream of the Arabic music world. This glittering line-up of international and local artists is a great representation of what MTV Arabia is all about - showcasing and fusing the very best Arabic and international talent and music and giving them the global platform they deserve."

MTV Arabia's programming line-up includes a number of local productions which will air from launch. Apart from Hip HopNa, the channel will feature Waslati, where viewers become VJs and introduce their favourite videos; Baqbeeq, a music trivia show about the most popular videos in the world; and Introducing Block, a behind-the-scenes view into the music industry.

The channel will also feature Arabic versions of international MTV programmes: Al Helm follows the journey of aspiring teenagers looking to fulfill their dreams, Al Hara 7 features previously unknown artists displaying innovative talent, and Akher Takka is a reality show where actors antagonize stressed-out 'victims' who can win a cash prize if they manage to keep their cool.

MTV Arabia will launch at 00:00 on November 17, 2007 on Nilesat and Arabsat.