OSN to launch ‘Stand Up! Ya Arab!’ for Ramadan

“Stand up! You Arab!” will bring together 60 Arab comedians from 12 countries, including the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon and Egypt. (OSN Group/File)
“Stand up! You Arab!” will bring together 60 Arab comedians from 12 countries, including the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon and Egypt. (OSN Group/File)
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Updated 14 February 2023
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OSN to launch ‘Stand Up! Ya Arab!’ for Ramadan

OSN to launch ‘Stand Up! Ya Arab!’ for Ramadan
  • Stand-up comedy show will bring together Arab comedians for 30 episodes throughout Ramadan

LONDON: Middle East and North Africa entertainment company Orbit Showtime Network, widely known as OSN Group, announced on Tuesday the release of the stand-up comedy show “Stand Up! Ya Arab!” to launch during Ramadan.

The OSN Original Ramadan series will feature some of the best stand-up talents from the Arab world and will air throughout the holy month on linear channels OSN Yahala and OSN Comedy and stream exclusively on OSN+.

“With viewer-centricity at the heart of OSN, we are dedicated to producing impactful original content that exceeds expectations and resonates with our regional audience,” said Fiona Robertson, acting head of OSN Originals.

“We created this OSN Original series so we could showcase emerging talent to comedy fans of all ages and demographics.”

“Stand up! You Arab!” will bring together 60 Arab comedians from 12 countries, including the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon and Egypt.

The series, which was created with the idea to provide a platform to showcase and discover emerging Arab stand-up talents, aims to reflect the rich cultural landscape of the MENA region.

The 30-minute episodes will feature a diverse group of artists including Sheikha Al-Khalidi, Mohammed Maher, Ammar Najjar, Stephanie Ghalbouni, Abdulla Al-Ansari and Ghada Salah, who will bring authentic, personal and relevant stories to an Arabic-speaking audience.


Fast Company Middle East issues list of Most Innovative Companies

Fast Company Middle East issues list of Most Innovative Companies
Updated 27 November 2023
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Fast Company Middle East issues list of Most Innovative Companies

Fast Company Middle East issues list of Most Innovative Companies
  • Second edition features 42 reputations across 23 sectors

DUBAI: Business news magazine Fast Company, which launched its Middle East edition last year, has unveiled this year’s list of the region’s Most Innovative Companies.

The list recognizes 42 companies across 23 sectors, which include e-commerce, retail, consumer goods and media.

Ravi Raman, publisher of Fast Company Middle East, told Arab News: “The Most Innovative Companies list not only sends a positive signal to teams and stakeholders but also resonates globally, showcasing how companies in the Middle East are pushing the boundaries of innovation.

“I am truly impressed by the profound impact each honoree is making in their respective industries, which reaffirms our belief in the human spirit to imagine, create, and improve.”

Three companies were recognized in the media category: Al Arabiya News Channel for advancing technology in news delivery; Kapturise for being a one-stop solution for content creation; and Telfaz11 for extending creative and cultural influence beyond Saudi Arabia.

In the advertising, branding and PR category, five companies were chosen, with three of the five spots being bagged by advertising network Publicis Groupe Middle East and its agencies Leo Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi.

The list also featured media intelligence provider Carma for delivering tailor-made content, and banking firm Mashreq for its innovative campaigns.

Advertising agency TBWA\RAAD was recognized in the workplaces category for creating shared goals through dynamic and flexible policies.

OSN was the only company to be featured in the entertainment category due to its inclusive content strategy.

Other companies in this year’s list include multinationals like L’Oreal Middle East and PepsiCo Middle East, as well as local entities like Masdar City and e&.


Media Oasis opens in Paris to support Riyadh’s bid to stage World Expo 2030

Media Oasis opens in Paris to support Riyadh’s bid to stage World Expo 2030
Updated 27 November 2023
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Media Oasis opens in Paris to support Riyadh’s bid to stage World Expo 2030

Media Oasis opens in Paris to support Riyadh’s bid to stage World Expo 2030
  • Event hosted by Kingdom’s Ministry of Media
  • Showcases best of Saudi cultural, development projects

RIYADH: The Saudi Media Ministry is hosting the second Media Oasis event in Paris, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The event, which opened on Sunday and runs through Tuesday, is being held alongside a meeting to select the host city for World Expo 2030, for which Riyadh is in the running.

Media Oasis was launched by the Media Ministry to showcase the best of Saudi cultural and development projects and initiatives to visitors from around the world.

Covering 1,200 square meters within the Pavilion at Place Vendome, it comprises exhibitions and interactive displays, hospitality and networking spaces, and “Saudi Treasures” and “Riyadh 2030” areas.

It also provides media support to international news outlets taking part in the Expo meeting.

The ministry collaborated with numerous partners on the event, including the Saudi Tourism Authority, Ministry of Sports, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, the Asir Region Development Authority, NEOM, Diriyah, the King Salman Park Project, Sports Boulevard, the Green Riyadh initiative, Riyadh Art, New Square Co., the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts and the Saudi Konoz initiative.


BBC slammed for mistranslating Arabic interview of released Palestinian prisoner

BBC slammed for mistranslating Arabic interview of released Palestinian prisoner
Updated 27 November 2023
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BBC slammed for mistranslating Arabic interview of released Palestinian prisoner

BBC slammed for mistranslating Arabic interview of released Palestinian prisoner
  • The mistranslation has sparked significant backlash on social media since the interview was aired

LONDON: The BBC has come under fire for mistranslating the words of a Palestinian prisoner following the her exchange as part of a hostage release deal between Isreal and Hamas on Friday.

Respond Crisis Translation stated that the former detainee criticized her Israeli captors in her initial statement, condemning them for their inhumane treatment of prisoners.

“They imprisoned us for a month. As winter came, they cut off the electricity. We almost died from the cold weather,” was translated to English subtitles as “and no one helped us. Only Hamas cared. Those who felt our suffering, I thank them very much.”

The former detainee proceeded to mention, “they (the Israelis) sprayed us with pepper spray and left us to die inside the prison,” but the English subtitles were interpreted as “and we love them very much,” potentially implying that her emotions were aimed at Hamas.

“The shortened video clip we posted included English subtitles, but due to an editing error did not include the full comments themselves. We have since uploaded the original video clip, so that it includes the full comments with corresponding translation, and added a note of clarification,” a BBC spokesperson told Arab News.

The incorrect translation caused uproar online, exacerbated by the fact the BBC has an Arabic language service.

“She never mentioned Hamas or a word like it,” Respond Crisis Translation posted on X.

“This egregious mistranslation is not just a language error; it is a racist fabrication that fans the flames of the war. Mistranslations such as these —intentional or not — are exacerbating the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.”

Social media users also took to Meta and X to slam the BBC for falsifying what was said in the interview, with one Instagram user stating: “This is the BBC literally inciting violence this is horrific,” and many other users stating: “Shame on you @bbc.”

The BBC has temporarily removed the video of the interview due to “an error in the editing process.”

Arab News contacted the BBC for comment.


Court document claims Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, reports say

Court document claims Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, reports say
Updated 27 November 2023
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Court document claims Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, reports say

Court document claims Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, reports say
  • One Facebook safety executive alluded to the possibility that cracking down on younger users might hurt the company’s business in a 2019 email, according a report

SAN FRANCISO: Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids and knew — but never disclosed — that it had received millions of complaints about underage users on Instagram but only disabled a fraction of those accounts, according to a newly unsealed legal complaint described in reports from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
The complaint, originally made public in redacted form, was the opening salvo in a lawsuit filed in late October by the attorneys general of 33 states.
According to the reports, Meta said in a statement that the complaint misrepresents its work over the past decade to make the online experience safe for teens and said it doesn’t design its products to be addictive to younger users. Meta didn’t immediately provide a comment on the unredacted complaint following a request from The Associated Press.
Company documents cited in the complaint described several Meta officials acknowledging that the company designed its products to exploit shortcomings in youthful psychology such as impulsive behavior, susceptibility to peer pressure and the underestimation of risks, according to the reports. Others acknowledged that Facebook and Instagram were also popular with children under age 13, who, per company policy, were not allowed to use the service.
One Facebook safety executive alluded to the possibility that cracking down on younger users might hurt the company’s business in a 2019 email, according to the Journal report. But a year later the same executive expressed frustration that while Facebook readily studied the usage of underage users for business reasons, it didn’t show the same enthusiasm for ways to identify younger kids and remove them from its platforms.
The complaint noted that at times Meta has a backlog of up to 2.5 million accounts of younger children awaiting action, according to the reports.


Al Hadath expands reach with new Riyadh newsroom

Al Hadath expands reach with new Riyadh newsroom
Updated 26 November 2023
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Al Hadath expands reach with new Riyadh newsroom

Al Hadath expands reach with new Riyadh newsroom
  • Newsroom to improve ‘efficiency, immediacy’ of live coverage

LONDON: In a move to bolster its regional presence, Al Hadath news channel has opened a new Riyadh newsroom.

The expansion is in line with the channel’s ongoing efforts to broaden its operations in the region.

In a statement, the network said: “This strategic expansion aligns with a period of intensifying regional events and their profound implications on the global stage.”

According to the channel, the new service would be geared toward improving the efficiency and immediacy of live coverage, facilitating a more thorough analysis of events in the region.

As part of the expansion, the new Riyadh newsroom features live broadcast studios equipped with the latest media technology, including ultra-high-definition imagery, illustrative screens, and analysis tools powered by artificial intelligence.

Launched in 2011, the free-to-air news and current affairs satellite channel has operated as an extension of the long-standing Al Arabiya news channel, bringing viewers extensive live coverage of events as they happen from throughout the Arab world and beyond.