How to Build a Media Industry from Scratch

From telenovelas to Sesame Street, 2013 Global Thinkers Noura al Kaabi and Saad Mohseni debate the importance of cultural imports in a localized entertainment industry.

FP_podcast_article_artwork-1-globalthinkers
FP_podcast_article_artwork-1-globalthinkers

In this week’s Global Thinkers podcast, Saad Mohseni, Moby CEO, joins his counterpart Noura al Kaabi, Chairwoman of Media Zone Authority and twofour54, to swap media-empire stories, explore why children’s entertainment is crucial for adults, and discuss how Afghanistan might be like 1950s America. FP story editor Amanda Silverman hosts.

In this week’s Global Thinkers podcast, Saad Mohseni, Moby CEO, joins his counterpart Noura al Kaabi, Chairwoman of Media Zone Authority and twofour54, to swap media-empire stories, explore why children’s entertainment is crucial for adults, and discuss how Afghanistan might be like 1950s America. FP story editor Amanda Silverman hosts.

About the participants:

Noura al Kaabi is a 2013 Global Thinker and the Chairwoman of Media Zone Authority and twofour54, a government-sponsored, media tax-free zone aimed at creating a sustainable media and entertainment industry in Abu Dhabi. Since taking the helm in 2012, al Kaabi has made a point to promote Arab talent, but she’s attracted Hollywood blockbusters to the UAE, such as Fast & Furious 7 and the latest Star Wars- The Force Awakens. Al Kaabi also serves as the Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs. Follow her on Twitter: @NouraAlKaabi.

Saad Mohseni is a 2013 Global Thinker and the chairman and CEO of the Moby Group, a multifaceted media company he launched in Kabul in 2003 with his brothers and sister. Moby started with Afghanistan’s first private radio station and has expanded to include a 24-hour news channel, Afghan Scene magazine, media production facilities, and an advertising agency, among other businesses. Beyond Afghanistan, the company is providing news and entertainment across the Middle East and Central Asia. Follow him on Twitter: @saadmohseni.

Amanda Silverman is a story editor for print at FP. Follow her on Twitter: @apsilverman.

Click to subscribe to FP‘s The E.R. and Global Thinkers podcasts on iTunes.

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.