Al Aqariya TV to set up its headquarters and operational center in Dubai Studio City

Al Aqariya TV decided on Dubai Studio City after evaluating several other locations in the region. "Dubai Studio City has given us complete freedom in designing and building our premises. It enables us to have our studios, offices and production facilities all under one roof. Moreover, an association with them will give us greater exposure and a stronger reputation in the market," commented Mohammed Saleh, CEO of Al Aqariya TV,.

Al Aqariya TV started airing on 17 December, 2004, to feature new developments and trends in the real estate sector in the region's booming market. The world-class technical infrastructure planned for Dubai Studio City provides an ideal platform for the free-to-air channel. Al Aqariya reaches over 150 million homes across the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, and is looking to diversify its programming in the near future.

Al Aqariya is confident that all their requirements will be met at Dubai Studio City. "Our relationship with Dubai Media City has been very rewarding, and we look forward to operating from a space that is specifically dedicated to professionals in media production," added Mr. Saleh.

Al Aqariya has teamed up with TV stations like BBC and Granada TV, to offer a wide variety of international programming on real estate, travel and tourism. Out of its new base at Dubai Studio City, Al Aqariya will air programs produced both in-house, and sourced from international companies.

Dubai Studio City officials said they very encouraged by the levels of interest from the market even at this early stage of its development. Announced on February 20, 2005, Dubai Studio City not only promises a complete technical and community infrastructure specifically catering to the film, TV and music production industries, but also has a host of value added support services.

"We are happy to have Al Aqariya, the leading specialised real estate channel in the Middle East, at Dubai Studio City. They have been the first to take this leap and are taking full advantage of what Dubai has to offer for the media industry" commented Dubai Studio City Project Director, Dr. Amina Al Rustamani.

Dubai Studio City will provide the same benefits that companies in the other entities of the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone enjoy. These include 100 % tax exemption for 50 years, 100 % ownership of their business, 100% repatriation of capital and profits and no currency restrictions, serviced offices, land on lease, a one-stop-shop of support services and simplified licensing and incorporation.

The infrastructure for the first phase of the Dubai Studio City project will be completed by the first quarter of 2006. Companies can build their own studios and facilities in custom-sized plots in the City. Moreover, Dubai Studio City will provide support services such as location management services and a business center for freelancers.