Bluesky has added 1 million users since the US election as people seek alternatives to X

Bluesky has added 1 million users since the US election as people seek alternatives to X
Championed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February.. (AP Photo)
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Updated 14 November 2024
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Bluesky has added 1 million users since the US election as people seek alternatives to X

Bluesky has added 1 million users since the US election as people seek alternatives to X
  • Bluesky said Wednesday that its total users surged to 15 million, up from roughly 13 million at the end of October
  • Championed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February

LOS ANGELES: Social media site Bluesky has gained 1 million new users in the week since the US election, as some X users look for an alternative platform to post their thoughts and engage with others online.
Bluesky said Wednesday that its total users surged to 15 million, up from roughly 13 million at the end of October.
Championed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That invite-only period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other features. The platform resembles Elon Musk’s X, with a “discover” feed as well a chronological feed for accounts that users follow. Users can send direct messages and pin posts, as well as find “starter packs” that provide a curated list of people and custom feeds to follow.
The post-election uptick in users isn’t the first time that Bluesky has benefitted from people leaving X. Bluesky gained 2.6 million users in the week after X was banned in Brazil in August — 85 percent of them from Brazil, the company said. About 500,000 new users signed up in the span of one day last month, when X signaled that blocked accounts would be able to see a user’s public posts.
Despite Bluesky’s growth, X posted last week that it had “dominated the global conversation on the US election” and had set new records. The platform saw a 15.5 percent jump in new-user signups on Election Day, X said, with a record 942 million posts worldwide. Representatives for Bluesky and for X did not respond to requests for comment.
Bluesky has referenced its competitive relationship to X through tongue-in-cheeks comments, including an Election Day post on X referencing Musk watching voting results come in with President-elect Donald Trump.
“I can guarantee that no Bluesky team members will be sitting with a presidential candidate tonight and giving them direct access to control what you see online,” Bluesky said.
Across the platform, new users — among them journalists, left-leaning politicians and celebrities — have posted memes and shared that they were looking forward to using a space free from advertisements and hate speech. Some said it reminded them of the early days of X, when it was still Twitter.
On Wednesday, The Guardian said it would no longer post on X, citing “far right conspiracy theories and racism” on the site as a reason. At the same time, television journalist Don Lemon posted on X that he is leaving the platform but will continue to use other social media, including Bluesky.
Lemon said he felt X was no longer a place for “honest debate and discussion.” He noted changes to the site’s terms of service set to go into effect Friday that state lawsuits against X must be filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas rather than the Western District of Texas. Musk said in July that he was moving X’s headquarters to Texas from San Francisco.
“As the Washington Post recently reported on X’s decision to change the terms, this ‘ensures that such lawsuits will be heard in courthouses that are a hub for conservatives, which experts say could make it easier for X to shield itself from litigation and punish critics,’” Lemon wrote. “I think that speaks for itself.”
Last year, advertisers such as IBM, NBCUniversal and its parent company Comcast fled X over concerns about their ads showing up next to pro-Nazi content and hate speech on the site in general, with Musk inflaming tensions with his own posts endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.


IMAX announces first Arabic feature film, opens new Jeddah location

IMAX announces first Arabic feature film, opens new Jeddah location
Updated 8 sec ago
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IMAX announces first Arabic feature film, opens new Jeddah location

IMAX announces first Arabic feature film, opens new Jeddah location
  • ‘Ambulance’ starring Ibrahim Al-Hajjaj released in April

DUBAI: IMAX announced plans for its first Arabic-language feature film at the opening of a new cinema — in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Muvi Cinemas — in Jeddah this week.

The new screen marks the first of four new IMAX screens the company will open across the Kingdom as part of its agreement with Muvi Cinemas.

IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond told Arab News in a recent interview that the long-term plan in Saudi Arabia was to “not only build a significant theater network, but also lean into the content side.”

The company has been involved in projects in other Middle Eastern countries, such as the 2009 film “Journey to Mecca” and the 1992 film “Fires of Kuwait,” so “this (Saudi Arabia) wasn’t a startup opportunity,” he added.

The newly announced film is a comedy titled “Ambulance” starring Saudi actor and comedian Ibrahim Al-Hajjaj, who is known for the mini series “Rashash” and movies like “AlKhallat+” and “Sattar.”

Directed by British filmmaker Colin Teague and produced by Al-Hajjaj’s House of Comedy, Saudi producer Talal Anazi’s Black Light Operations, and Muvi Studios, the film will be released on April 17, 2025.

Gelfond said: “As we open our first location with Muvi Cinemas — the biggest exhibitor in Saudi Arabia and a new strategic partner for IMAX — we are excited to expand into Arabic-language content and deliver Arabic-speaking audiences an even greater diversity of experiences.”

Muvi Cinemas will open the next IMAX screen at Mall of Dhahran in February followed by U Walk in Riyadh.


Spotify announces Taylor Swift as Saudi’s most-streamed artist for second successive year

Spotify announces Taylor Swift as Saudi’s most-streamed artist for second successive year
Updated 05 December 2024
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Spotify announces Taylor Swift as Saudi’s most-streamed artist for second successive year

Spotify announces Taylor Swift as Saudi’s most-streamed artist for second successive year
  • Ayed Yousef most-streamed Arab artist in the Kingdom in 2024

DUBAI: Spotify has released its annual Wrapped report, a roundup of the most popular artists, songs, albums and podcasts streamed in each country over the past year, as well as a personalized experience for each user based on their own activity on the platform during that time.

Taylor Swift has topped the chart as the most-streamed artist in Saudi Arabia for the second year in a row.

Saudi listening habits are consistent with global trends with Swift ranking first, followed by Canadian artist The Weeknd in the Kingdom and globally.

Billie Eilish comes in third, followed by Travis Scott and Drake who rank fourth and fifth as the most-streamed artists of 2024 in the Kingdom.

Globally, Puerto Rican sensation Bad Bunny comes in third, followed by Eilish and Drake.

This year, podcasts have grown in popularity in the Kingdom with “Finjan Ma’ Abdel El Rahman Abo Maleh” topping the charts for the second consecutive year.

“Each year, the podcast landscape in Saudi Arabia increasingly reflects the country’s cultural shifts,” said Rhea Chedid, Spotify’s editorial lead and senior podcast manager for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

The report revealed “a resounding preference for Arabic podcasts, particularly those that weave long stories, highlighting Saudis’ love for rich, narrative-driven content,” she told Arab News.

There has been a surge in the popularity of music-related podcasts reflecting the burgeoning music scene in the Kingdom and ongoing efforts to nurture it, Chedid added.

Ayed Yousef tops the list of most-streamed Arab artists in Saudi Arabia, with his songs “Lammah” and “Rdy” ranking among Spotify’s most-streamed Arabic songs in the Kingdom.

He is followed by Abdul Majeed Abdullah and Rashed Al-Majed in second and third place, and Assala and Majid Al-Mohandis in fourth and fifth place respectively.

Most-streamed Arab artists in Saudi Arabia:

1. Ayed

2. Abdul Majeed Abdullah

3. Rashed Al-Majed

4. Assala

5. Majid Al-Mohandis

Most-streamed artists in Saudi Arabia:

1. Taylor Swift

2. The Weeknd

3. Billie Eilish

4. Travis Scott

5. Drake

Most-streamed songs in Saudi Arabia:

1. “Who” by Jimin

2. “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish

3. “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter

4. “Love Me Again” by V

5. “End of Beginning” by Djo

Most popular podcasts in Saudi Arabia:

1. “Finjan Ma’ Abdel El Rahman Abo Maleh”

2. “Jinaayah”

3.. “Areeka”

4. “Sahib”

5. “Yasir Khair”

Spotify users can access their personalized Wrapped experience on its mobile app and website.


MBC Group companies sign MoUs with TikTok

MBC Group companies sign MoUs with TikTok
Updated 05 December 2024
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MBC Group companies sign MoUs with TikTok

MBC Group companies sign MoUs with TikTok
  • Potential partnerships will see the companies collaborate on creating content and selling adverts

DUBAI: Leading regional media company MBC Group has overseen the signings of memorandums of understanding between two of the group’s companies, MBC Media and MBC Media Solutions, with short-form video company TikTok.

The former MoU aims to leverage the expertise of both companies in creating content for TikTok. As part of the potential agreement, MBC Media will create content for TikTok across verticals including entertainment, lifestyle, and music.

The partnership reflects “both companies’ commitment to innovative content creation to meet the diverse needs of audiences in the rapidly evolving KSA market,” according to a statement.

The second MoU, between MBC’s in-house commercial advertising and sales arm MMS and TikTok, will see MMS become the official advertising partner of the short-form video platform in Saudi Arabia. 

The agreement will see MMS provide advertisers access to TikTok’s ad formats in the Kingdom through an advertising reselling program.

MMS is already familiar with this role given that it was appointed the official reseller of TikTok in Egypt in May 2023.

MBC Group and TikTok have worked together in the past through initiatives like a film-making competition, called #FilmOnTikTok, in collaboration with MBC Group’s educational and training arm, MBC Academy in 2021.

In 2023, TikTok and MMS renewed a partnership that allowed TikTok advertisers to pair their advertising with unique MBC content throughout Ramadan.


Netflix launches two-day ‘fan experience’ in Jeddah

Netflix launches two-day ‘fan experience’ in Jeddah
Updated 05 December 2024
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Netflix launches two-day ‘fan experience’ in Jeddah

Netflix launches two-day ‘fan experience’ in Jeddah
  • Event will run on Dec. 5 and 6 at Le Chateau Mall

DUBAI: Netflix is hosting an interactive two-day “fan experience” in Jeddah’s Le Chateau Mall on Dec. 5 and 6, the company said.

The event will feature several zones, each dedicated to Netflix’s international and Arabic series, movies and games.

For example, visitors can create a personalized scent inspired by the show “Finding Ola” or engage in games and challenges in the areas dedicated to sports doc series “Saudi Pro League: Kickoff” and Kuwaiti series “The Exchange.”

Other zones dedicated to the Middle East include one for “AlKhallat+,” the first Saudi movie to be created for Netflix; “Ras B Ras,” an action feature film from Saudi creators Abdulaziz Al-Muzaini and Malik Nejer; and “Love is Blind Habibi,” the Arab version of the international reality show “Love is Blind.”

Visitors can also walk into the Wednesday Addams’ bedroom from the show “Wednesday,” enjoy high tea at a “Bridgerton”-inspired cafe and participate in a challenge inspired by “One Piece” character Monkey D. Luffy.

The brand experience will also include photo ops, live entertainment and a meet-and-greet with actors and creators.

The free event will run from 4 p.m. to midnight.


PUBG Mobile and Qiddiya Gaming announce partnership

PUBG Mobile and Qiddiya Gaming announce partnership
Updated 05 December 2024
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PUBG Mobile and Qiddiya Gaming announce partnership

PUBG Mobile and Qiddiya Gaming announce partnership
  • Collaboration reflects ‘shared commitment to elevating the gaming ecosystem’

DUBAI: PUBG Mobile, a multiplayer mobile battle game, has teamed up with Saudi Arabia’s electronic sports and gaming district Qiddiya Gaming to provide exclusive in-game content and new e-sports experiences.

Qiddiya Gaming will also play an “integral role” in and “supercharge” the PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2024, which is scheduled to take place in London from Dec. 6-8, according to a statement.

The exclusive in-game content has been developed in collaboration with Qiddiya Gaming and will be available on PUBG Mobile in the game’s “World of Wonder” mode that offers different templates for players to build their own battleground with its own rules.

This collaboration reflects a “shared commitment to elevating the gaming ecosystem” and pushes “the boundaries of innovative gameplay,” the statement said.

More details about Qiddiya’s role in the championship and in-game content will be revealed at a later date.

Earlier this year, PUBG Mobile debuted at Saudi Arabia’s Esports World Cup. The game’s developer, Level Infinite, partnered with the Esports World Cup Foundation to collaborate on various projects over the next three years.

Located in Qiddiya City, the gaming and e-sports district will be home to several dedicated e-sports venues, including one that will be one of the three biggest in the world. The district covers more than 500,000 sq. meters of gaming space and aims to attract 10 million visits annually, with 100,000 sq. meters dedicated to retail, dining and entertainment venues.