Rotana and Yahoo! join forces to launch groundbreaking Internet video service

 Yahoo! Middle East has today announced a new partnership with Rotana, the diversified media company and world’s largest producer of Arabic music and key distributor of movies. This important alliance will enable Yahoo! to use and stream Rotana’s wide range of multimedia content, including music, videos, movies, concerts, TV channels and radio, through its new Video Network channel for the Arabic speaking world.

Combining Rotana’s position as the Arab world’s largest entertainment company, which contains Rotana Records (a high profile record label which has signed more than 100 Arab artists), a film production company, magazine, television and music channels (Rotana Radio), with Yahoo!’s reach and strong position as the Arab world’s leading online media destination will provide a wealth of new opportunities for both companies.  Online users can expect an engaging, interactive experience, which will set new standards for regional content.

Yahoo! aims to enrich its content portfolio and utilize streaming technology for a wide range of Rotana content. This includes Ramadan-specific programs, music from locations such Egypt, Lebanon, and the Gulf, videos, movies, concerts, TV and radio through its online facilities.  This strategic agreement will also enable Yahoo! to roll out a number of added-value services for Rotana and end users such as mobile-friendly content, advertising content management, and an enhanced IPTV offering, amongst others.

“This is an exciting and important development for Yahoo! Middle East as we continue to strengthen and support Arabic content on the internet, and introduce moreinnovative and locally relevant content and products for our consumers in a highly engaging platform,” said Ahmed Nassef, VP and Managing Director of Yahoo! Middle East!

“We strive to be the centre of people’s online lives, and are delighted to partner with Rotana, one of the Arab world’s leaders in high quality content. We look forward to joining forces to build an ever-evolving content platform, for the benefit of our valued customers in the Arab world.”

“As the region’s largest entertainment company for quality Arabic content, we are always looking to sustain a healthy growth in our audience numbers. Yahoo!’s entertainment network is the ideal platform to utilise for the ever-growing Arab online world,” said Yousef H Mugharbil, President of Digital Media, Rotana.

Following Yahoo!’s entrance  in the Middle East market, since its acquisition of Maktoob.com, the largest online Arabic portal in 2009, Yahoo! has worked on a number of strategic initiatives to strengthen and support content on the internet for the Arab world.

In addition, Yahoo! has recently opened its new customer care centre in Cairo, Egypt which will serve the Middle East, Europe and North Africa covering nine different languages.