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.
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.
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.
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