Mazen HAYEK

Reuters reports that Saudi Arabia is set to cancel next year's JOY Awards, its star-studded answer to the Oscars or the Grammys. >> @Reuters’ Timour Azhari cites two people with knowledge of the matter. So, this is sourced reporting. In the same context, I told Reuters: >> “The war and its wider ripple effects are inevitably prompting Gulf states to reassess spending priorities (…) It’s not simply a question of whether governments have the financial capacity to fund such initiatives. Some of these events were also conceived as instruments of international visibility, soft power and influence. In the current environment, however, governments may be weighing those objectives against other national priorities.” >> For me, that’s the bigger story. The region’s entertainment boom was never simply about showbiz. These events have served socio-cultural, tourism, visibility and soft-power objectives, in addition to the broader ambition to shape regional and global opinion. >> The question now is less what gets cancelled (or postponed) than what gets prioritized. 🔗 Read the original @ThomsonReuters story by @timourazhari reuters.com/world/middle-eas…

Middle Eastern storytelling is going places: from page to screen, and beyond. MBC Studios’ psychological thriller Traveller’s Hell (“جحيم العابرين”), adapted from the bestselling novel by Osamah Almuslim, is heading to the 47th Cairo International Film Festival for its world premiere on November 13, in the festival’s Midnight Screenings section. Directed by Hana Alomair, the film will lead into a multi-market theatrical rollout, opening in Saudi Arabia on November 19, followed by cinemas across the GCC and wider Arab region from November 26, and Egypt on December 3. >> Beyond the film itself, this is another interesting marker of MBC GROUP’s broader ambition to build and scale original IP rooted in Saudi and Arab storytelling, across movies, series and gaming. The recent launch of “1001 Threads of Mizan”, a new IP universe spanning multiple entertainment formats, reinforces that ambition: >> Developing stories and characters with the potential to travel across platforms, formats and markets. The bigger play revolves around building intellectual property, creating entertainment ecosystems and taking homegrown stories to regional and global audiences.

Mohamed Abdel Motaal, General Manager of MBC MASR TV Network, has been named Media Executive of the Year at the BroadcastPro Middle East Awards, held tonight in Dubai on the sidelines of the BroadcastPro ME conference. The award recognizes AbdelMotaal’s vision, leadership, and achievements in driving the growth and success of MBC MASR TV Network across Egypt, North Africa and the wider Middle East. @mbcmasr @mbcmasr2 @MBCMASR_News

Only in #Dubai does a private jet terminal look more like a museum! @ExecuJetAvGrp @DubaiDET @IssamKazim

Let’s get the facts straight. Videos circulating on social media and WhatsApp, supposedly showing crowds rushing to leave #Dubai amid fears of Iranian retaliation, are largely misleading. >> Many are old footage or show arrivals, not departures, during peak travel periods. A senior aviation executive confirmed to me that Dubai Airport’s departure traffic today was within normal levels, comparable to last week, last month and even last year. >> There is no trace or evidence of the rumored “mass exodus” being portrayed online. Dubai continues to operate as usual. In moments like these, responsible communication matters. >> Verify First. Don’t promote fake news, amplify unverified footage, manufacture panic, or mistake social media noise for reality. >> Stay calm. Stay informed. And don’t believe everything you see online, or receive via WhatsApp.

MBC GROUP’S AAA GAMING DEBUT IS MAKING WAVES AND THE BIGGER STORY IS WHAT COMES NEXT. >> Nearly 70 million trailer views in its first week. Three-hour queues to play its demo at Gamescom 2026. And a debut title that The Hollywood Reporter has tipped as a potential breakout for 2027. For MBC Game Studio (MGS), 1001 Threads of Mizan is more than a high-profile entrance into gaming. It’s the opening move in MBC GROUP’s ambition to build original IP for a global entertainment market. Inspired by One Thousand and One Nights and the wider universe of Arabian mythology, the three-player co-op adventure puts a distinctly Arab storytelling heritage at the heart of an original AAA gaming experience. But the bigger story isn’t just one promising game. It’s the strategy behind it: >> MBC is treating gaming not as a licensing opportunity or an extension of its existing content business, but as an original IP engine - creating worlds and characters with the potential to travel across gaming, publishing, collectibles, film and television. That’s a meaningful strategic shift for a media group whose ambition is to take stories rooted in the Arab world to global audiences. Gaming offers a powerful advantage: a universal language of interaction that can transcend the cultural and linguistic barriers often associated with traditional screen entertainment. There’s also a wider regional significance. With the Middle East (Saudi Arabia in particular) investing in its gaming and creative industries, MGS represents a move towards developing original intellectual property and production capabilities - not simply consuming, distributing or licensing global hits. Of course, one title does not make a successful gaming business. Execution, player engagement and sustained investment will ultimately determine the outcome. And the game itself must come first. But MBC has made its opening move and the ambition extends well beyond a single release. For media groups looking to diversify, build enduring franchises and compete in an increasingly IP-driven global entertainment market, this is a development worth watching. 1001 Threads of Mizan is the beginning. The more interesting question is what MBC Game Studio builds next: >> More original IP. >> More worlds to explore. >> And, potentially, a whole new chapter in the MBC story. Picture: @MBCGroup Chairman Waleed Al-Ibrahim | CEO Mike Sneesby. #MBCGroup #MBCGameStudio #Gaming #OriginalIP #Media #Entertainment