Members News

A new report from Arab Advisors Group has been released to provide a business analysis of the four MENA-based pay TV providers targeting the Arab World. Arab Advisors Group analyzed a historical comparison of the airtime, packages and fees, content and channels, and interactive services of the satellite pay TV providers under study for the duration between 2014 and 2022. In addition, the report analyses satellite pay TVs’ response to its competitive forces in the region.

Satellite pay TV providers need to reshape their business models in response to competitive forces and digitization of the broadcasting industry. According to Arab Advisors Group’s report, MENA’s satellite pay TV providers’ respond was fourfold. The MENA-based satellite pay TV providers which cater to the Arab World launched their own OTT streaming applications, launched multi-screen platforms, implemented price segmentation to their offerings, and entered into partnerships with telecom operators to provide telecom subscribers with their offerings, bundled with telecom services.

Arab Advisors Group analyzed the four satellite pay TV providers (Al Majd, beIN, GOBX, and OSN) from 2014 to 2022, building on our previously published reports. This report includes a historical comparison of the airtime, packages and fees, content and channels, and interactive services of the four satellite pay TV providers. On the fees front, three of the four providers under study increased its monthly average package fees in 2022, in comparison to their average fees in 2016. As for their airtime, one satellite pay TV’s provide airtime dropped in 2022 by around 39%, compared to its airtime in 2016; the remaining providers witnessed an increase in their airtime during 2022, compared to their airtime in 2016.  

Arab Advisors Group released a new report: “A Business Analysis of MENA Satellite Pay TV Sector and its Competitive Forces 2022”. The report, which was released in January 2023, answers the following questions:

• What is satellite pay TV providers’ offerings in the MENA?
• How did satellite pay TV providers alter their fees for the period between 2014 and 2022?
• What are the changes in the Satellite pay TV providers’ channels and airtime for the period between 2014 and 2022?
• What are the genres and languages of satellite pay TV channels catering to MENA during the period under study?
• How do pay TV providers’ streaming applications and multi-screen platforms compare across MENA during the analysis period?
• Who are satellite pay TV’s competitive forces in the region?

Please contact Arab Advisors Group for more details or to get a copy of the report’s Table of Contents.

The report was released to Arab Advisors Group’s subscribers and can be purchased for a fee of US$ 5,200.

Arab Advisors Group’s team of analysts in the region produced over 5,500 reports on the Arab World’s communications, media and financial markets. The reports can be purchased individually or received through an annual subscription to Arab Advisors Group’s (www.arabadvisors.com) Strategic Research Services (Media and Telecom).

To date, Arab Advisors Group serves over 945 global and regional companies by providing reliable research analysis and forecasts of Arab communications markets to these clients. Some of our clients can be viewed on https://arabadvisors.com/client-list

Estarta held its annual International Women’s Day event on Friday, March 3rd, at the Four Seasons Hotel Amman. The evening was a huge success, filled with inspiring speeches, personal stories, and fun activities.

Amira ElAli, the MC and the Head of Public Relations and Women Empowerment Committee, launched the event with a few words, setting the atmosphere for the night. The CEO, Mutaz H. Nabulsi, and the Chairman, Leith Al Masri, followed suit with a few words of their own, expressing their appreciation and respect for the women of Estarta.

The highlight of the event was the panel that was held exclusively by Estartan ladies. They shared personal and inspirational stories of the challenges they faced as well as their successes, and how Estarta supported and empowered them to be where they are today.

Estarta also awarded certificates to the “most influential female” on each team as a way of acknowledging and celebrating the successes of its female employees.

To sum up, the night was a true testament to the culture of Estarta as a company that values women’s empowerment, diversity, and inclusion. As it were, Estarta currently has over 1500 employees, 45% of whom are female!

In a ceremony attended by representatives from both parties, the Housing Bank signed an agreement to promote green financing with CRIF Information Technology Solutions, part of CRIF Spa. International Group.
The agreement allows the Housing Bank and its clients from enterprises with various business sizes to benefit from Synesgy, a digital platform that evaluates companies based on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. This step is in line with national efforts that work towards adopting top standards in regards to environmental, community and governance practices, which is considered one of the most important outcomes of the Jordan Strategy Forum 2022 Jordan Strategy Forum – منتدى الاستراتيجيات الأردني , in addition to the Central Bank of Jordan’s efforts to adopt green finance strategies.
The agreement was signed by Vasken Ajemian, Housing Bank’s Chief Banking Officer, and Areej Obeidat, CRIF ITS’ Branch Manager. Commenting on the occasion Ajemian said, “We are proud of our partnership with CRIF ITS as a strategic partner within the bank’s plan to apply and adopt environmental, social, and governance sustainability standards through Synesgy®.”
He added, “This agreement comes as part of the Housing Bank’s commitments and strategic plans in issuing annual sustainability reports. In addition to raising the readiness of credit policies and sustainable trade financing strategies, choosing supply chains and risk management, and financing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in addition to large companies.”
Furthermore, Mrs. Areej Obeidat commented on this agreement, saying, “I am proud of our partnership with Housing Bank. As one of the largest banking institutions in the Jordanian banking market, our partnership is playing a significant and effective impact in spreading awareness to adopt top standards in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices within the banking and commercial sector in Jordan.”
It is worth to mention that sustainable and green finance are receiving much attention recently, which refers to financing and investment procedures that consider environmental, social, and governance implications. Companies, around the world, that adhere to sustainability standards, typically perform better, and lead to longer investments than others, when environmental, social, and governance practices are put into consideration when making decisions.

وقّع بنك الاسكان اتفاقية لتعزيز التمويل الأخضر مع شركة كريف لحلول تكنولوجيا المعلومات (CRIF ITS) وهي شركة تابعة لمجموعة كريف العالمية، وكان ذلك في مبنى الإدارة العامة لبنك الإسكان – الشميساني بحضور ممثلين عن الطرفين.

وتتيح الاتفاقية لبنك الإسكان وعملائه من الشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة والكبرى الاستفادة من منصة Synesgy الرقمية، والتي تعمل على تقييم هذه الشركات على أساس المعايير البيئية والاجتماعية والحوكمة، تماشياً مع الجهود الوطنية لتبني معايير الممارسات البيئية والمجتمعية والحوكمة (ESG) باعتبارها أحد أهم مخرجات منتدى الاستراتيجيات الأردني، وبالتزامن مع جهود البنك المركزي الأردني لتبني استراتيجيات التمويل الأخضر.  

وقام بتوقيع الاتفاقية كل من رئيس مجموعة الأعمال المصرفية في بنك الإسكان فاسكين أجميان، ومديرة منطقة الأردن في شركة كريف لحلول تكنولوجيا المعلومات أريج عبيدات. وقال أجميان: “نعتز بشراكتنا مع شركة كريف لحلول تكنولوجيا المعلومات كشريك استراتيجي ضمن خطة البنك في تطبيق وتبني معايير الاستدامة البيئية والاجتماعية والحوكمة من خلال منصة Synesgy الرقمية”.

وأضاف أجميان “تأتي هذه الاتفاقية كجزء من التزامات بنك الإسكان وخططه الاستراتيجية في اصدار تقارير الاستدامة السنوية، بالإضافة الى رفع جاهزية سياسات الائتمان واستراتيجيات التمويل التجاري الاخضر واختيار سلاسل التوريد وإدارة المخاطر وتمويل الشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة (SMEs) بالإضافة إلى الشركات الكبرى”.

وحول هذه الاتفاقية، قالت السيدة أريج عبيدات: “فخورة بشراكتنا مع بنك الإسكان كأحد كبرى المؤسسات المصرفية في السوق المصرفي الأردني، وشراكتنا معه تشكل أثراً كبيراً وفعالاً في نشر الوعي لتبني معايير الممارسات البيئية والمجتمعية والحوكمة (ESG) ضمن القطاع المصرفي والتجاري في الأردن “.

من الجدير بالذكر أن التمويل المستدام، والذي يشير إلى عمليات التمويل والاستثمار التي تأخذ بعين الاعتبار الآثار البيئية والاجتماعية والحوكمة، اكتسب الكثير من الاهتمام في السنوات الأخيرة، حيث أصبحت العديد من الشركات في جميع أنحاء العالم تبحث عن حلول تساعدها في التمسك بركائز الاستدامة حيث أنها أصبحت ضرورة، كما أن الشركات التي تراعي المعايير البيئية والاجتماعية والحوكمة في اتخاذ قراراتها عادةً ما يكون أداءها أفضل وتقود استثمارات أطول مقارنة بغيرها.

Pio-Tech is proud to announce its strategic partnership with Fintech Buddy, a one-stop platform in Saudi Arabia offering a range of professional services for new businesses. This collaboration aims to provide top-notch technical solutions and expert consulting services to fintech and financial service clients in the region. The partnership between Fintech Buddy and Pio-Tech aims to expand their reach and bring innovation to the financial industry in Saudi Arabia.

“Ms. Nasreen Alissa, the founder of Fintech Buddy, stated, “We are proud to bring this cutting-edge technology to the financial industry in Saudi Arabia. Pio-Tech is one of the leading financial solution providers in the region and their expertise and reputation spurred us onto putting our trust in them and starting this collaboration.”

Mr. Tariq Saffarini, CEO of Pio-Tech, expressed his delight and stated: “I am thrilled to welcome Fintech Buddy to our list of trusted partners and announce our collaboration. This partnership will bring even greater value to our clients and further solidify Pio-Tech’s commitment to innovation in the fintech industry.”

Kuwait Finance House (KFH) has signed an agreement with Pio-Tech, one of the leading companies in the development of digital transformation solutions, to apply the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology powered by UiPath.

Group Chief Operations Officer at KFH, Abdulla Mohammed Abu Alhous said that the Robotic Process Automation technology will provide KFH with the ability to create an innovative technology environment that accelerates and automates the banking operations and repeatable business process tasks leading to enhanced customer satisfaction and business growth.

He pointed out, in a press release, that the project involves optimizing cutting-edge RPA technology to increase the market share, attract and retain customers, and allow the employees to focus on more value-adding and customer-centric activities. The initiative will significantly optimize internal processes, accelerate lengthy operations, reduce operational costs, and enhance operational accuracy.

Abu Alhous expressed his pleasure in working with Pio-Tech, indicating that “applying the RPA technology will elevate our bank’s internal processes, making sure they’re done in a rapid and accurate manner to guarantee the minimum response time and enhance the overall customer’s experience, opening the way for more future digital transformation approaches”.

Meanwhile, Tariq Saffarini, the CEO of Pio-Tech, stated: “As KFH is considered the world’s leading Islamic financial institution, we are striving to serve them with the highest levels of commitment and perseverance to meet their expectations and provide them with the best solutions and modern technologies in the banking sector.”

It is worth noting that KFH has made great strides in its digital transformation strategy while enhancing customer experience and meeting their aspirations and needs, thanks to its unique and innovative banking services and solutions.

KFH moves forward in its approach of integrating innovative solutions and banking technology in its operations, launching digital transformation initiatives which contribute to adding a distinct value to the experience of customers who are looking for fast and easy banking services.

A new report from Arab Advisors Group analyzed and compared 5G data only plans offered by cellular operators in the GCC.

Arab Advisors Group analyzed and compared 5G data only plans offered by cellular operators in the GCC, factoring in 3^rd party products and services offered in bundles.

Arab Advisors Group released a new report “A Comparative Analysis of 5G Rates in the GCC.” The report, which was released in August 2022, answers the following questions:

• What are the rates of postpaid and prepaid 5G data only plans in the GCC?
• What are the average fees of the 5G data only plans per data allowance offered?
• Which GCC country offered 5G data only plans that were priced above the average?
• What is the price per GB for the 5G data only plans in each GCC country?
• How did 5G affordability vary between 2021 and 2022?
• What are the details of each telco’s offering of 5G home broadband and 5G dedicated mobile Internet data only plans?

“As part of  Arab Advisors Group’s 5G price tracking service, we are pleased to announce the release of the fifth edition of the report “A Comparative Analysis of 5G Rates in the GCC“.” Hiba Rabadi, Arab Advisors Group’s Deputy General Manager said. “5G price tracker is crucial to both countries with and without commercial 5G launches. Through our reports, countries with commercially available 5G services acknowledge their positions in terms of affordability and plans versatility. As for countries which did not launch 5G, our price tracking allows them to forecast price points ensuring smoother and rapid launches.” Added Rabadi.

“It was interesting to find out who champions the current 5G landscape in the region. Telcos in KSA and Kuwait offer their 5G services at more competitive rates that of the rest of the GCC as their average monthly fees have proven to be lower than the Gulf\s average in both prepaid and postpaid 5G data only plans. Dana Shekem, Research Analyst at Arab Advisors Group added.

Please contact Arab Advisors Group for more details or to get a copy of the report’s Table of Contents.

The report was released to Arab Advisors Group’s subscribers and can be purchased for a fee of US$ 7,200.

The purchase of this report will count towards an annual Strategic Research Service subscription.

Arab Advisors Group’s team of analysts in the region produced over 5,500 reports on the Arab World’s communications, media and financial markets. The reports can be purchased individually or received through an annual subscription to Arab Advisors Group’s (www.arabadvisors.com) Strategic Research Services (Media and Telecom).

To date, Arab Advisors Group serves over 945 global and regional companies by providing reliable research analysis and forecasts of Arab communications markets to these clients. Some of our clients can be viewed on https://arabadvisors.com/client-list