Dubai: Augustus Media, the media company known for Lovin Dubai and the business-savvy Smashi TV streaming service, has launched a brand-new podcast called “Unspoken,” in collaboration with renowned hosts Sabine Sassine and Fouad Haidar. In doing so, Augustus Media, an award-winning Middle Eastern digital media company based in Dubai and Riyadh, is producing exciting podcasts across their multiple brands, and continuing to lead the way in providing modern, engaging content to its audience. “Unspoken” is a bi-weekly podcast that explores the unspoken truths and secrets that exist in our everyday lives, geared towards millennials and Gen-Zers. Each episode features candid conversations with hosts and a guest who has a unique perspective on the subject matter, together they delve into the topics that often go unspoken in our society.Sabine and Fouad are boldly tackling topics that are often considered awkward, uncomfortable, or taboo, such as mental health, emotional well-being, and sex education. Their new podcast breaks down barriers with its limitless approach, refusing to adhere to boundaries, borders, or gender stereotypes. With a focus on personal experiences and opinions, listeners are sure to feel heard on this show. As Sabine and Fouad often say, “different people, different opinions,” making their podcast a space for diverse perspectives and open discussion.The podcast is distributed across all Smashi TV platforms and falls under the Smashi Entertainment vertical. Smashi is a live streaming service from the heart of the Arab world, covering the best events, people and products changing our lives. New episodes of the podcast are released every Friday and are available wherever one gets their daily podcasts.Guests of the podcast have included names such as Fozaza, Mohanad Al Hamdi, Dr.Costi and Sandra Sahi, who have explored topics ranging from fertility, Arab media censorship, social media expectations and bullying. “It’s been a fantastic journey getting to create Unspoken with Sabine and Fouad, with a lot of heart and energy going into its inception. Unspoken is not just another podcast, it’s a platform where barriers are broken, and the unspoken is given a voice. It’s never more been so important to create content that matters and is relevant in today’s society, so having a team that’s leading the conversation has been fantastic. Unspoken was a necessary creation that both Sabine and I felt the need to unleash after being in the business for quite a few years," said Amy Jones, Senior Content Director, Augustus Media. "We wanted to bring our skills, our long array of guests, and our energy into a platform that breaks all the taboos in the Arab world, and give a voice for the unheard and the underrated. To us, Unspoken is raw, light, yet extremely moving,’’ said Fouad Haidar, Unspoken show host. In line with Augustus Media’s focus on in house production, they have also produced a 10-week, 10-episode series ‘MS Talks 2.0’ in collaboration with Novartis. The series brings together experts and members of the community to bring awareness and provide clarity on Multiple Sclerosis. The show goes live in both video and podcast formats across Lovin Dubai platforms, including The Lovin Dubai Show.All Augustus Media podcasts are accessible on Anghami, Spotify, Apple and Google podcasts.

Dubai: Identity, a global full-service events company with over 20 years of blue-chip experience, announced the expansion of its business to the Middle East with the opening of two new offices in the United Arab Emirates. Building on the successful delivery of some of the largest HMG-led events including the G7 Summit, COP26, and the NATO Summit, Identity is bringing production expertise coupled with innovative broadcast technology to deliver the world’s largest hybrid events to the Middle East.The UAE is a hub for major events, from corporate conferences to world-class sporting events, and this launch will position Identity to continue meeting the growing demand for top-tier event planning and management in the region.Michael Gietzen, CEO, Identity Group, said, “The region is rapidly becoming a global hub for entertainment, business, and sporting events, and the UAE is a natural home for Identity’s offices. The global events industry has witnessed a positive shift, particularly in the region, with the ushering in of COP28 ascending global conversations to new heights from the heart of the UAE. As we continue to drive influential events, the appetite for human experiences beyond the digital realm is needed more than ever to strengthen the fabric of communities and society. The UAE is the perfect hotspot for the Identity team and industry practitioners alike to propel in a fast-paced region like the Middle East.”Ryan Perkins, General Manager, Identity Middle East, said, “We are thrilled to announce Identity’s UAE offices, bringing us closer to our regional partners across the Middle East. This expansion is a testament to our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences for our clients. We look forward to leveraging our expertise in delivering live experiential events and pioneering the human experience, supporting the UAE’s burgeoning position as a safe, secure, and accessible hub for global gatherings and a top choice for international business, entertainment, and cultural events.”Identity is working on significant projects won in the region alongside public sector organisations, with exciting opportunities on the horizon.Following Identity’s success in the UK and Europe, the agency has now expanded into the UAE with offices in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Shaping its organisational structure in the UAE to create new market space, Identity harnesses a unique understanding of both clients and suppliers across the spectrum of the industry continuing to design a positive impact across its UAE business.

Arthur D. Little (ADL) has published “The Metaverse: What’s In It For Telcos?” exploring how telcos can capture value by leveraging the metaverse. Metaverse represents a major new market for telcos with early estimates of the overall size of the Metaverse opportunity to be around $13 trillion by 2030. For example, Ericsson estimates the opportunity presented by 5G fixed wireless access at $5 billion in 2022, growing to $21 billion in 2025 and $53 billion by 2030.Three related forces drive the imperative for telcos to be proactive in their Metaverse strategies and tactics. First, the demand is likely to be too large to ignore. Second, the risk of failure or non-participation could be existential: hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure will be close on the heels of those telco players that fail to guarantee the infrastructure the Metaverse necessitates. Third, consumer behavior, particularly from Gen Z, shows that demand for Metaverse products is already well into the mainstream. For example, according to a recent study by Obsess, 75% of Gen Z virtual shoppers have already purchased a digital product within a video game. To connect with this generation of consumers, telcos must invest in Metaverse offerings and capabilities.Given these three factors, telcos should explore how they can benefit from the Metaverse’s rise, both with infrastructure and through direct participation. By engaging effectively with this new market, benefits for telcos include growth from increased revenues and retention and new efficiency gains along multiple axes, including carbon usage and workforce outsourcing.Thomas Kuruvilla, Managing Partner, Arthur D. Little, Middle East, said: “The expected acceleration in Metaverse prospects is driven by a real convergence of multiple factors: internet connectivity, technology related to sensors to collect data, digitalization and AI — and the value of a reliable communication is obvious. As highlighted in the report, the Metaverse will add tremendous value to all and this should allow telcos to share a part of the benefit, as increased revenue which can be spend on network infrastructure and addressing the challenge of ultra-low-latency requirements. A good connectivity will enable Healthcare and Education providers to deliver services to disadvantaged and remote communities – and at an overall lower cost – democratizing access and care for citizens worldwide. Going forward, the % increase in adoption of digital services/Metaverse will be higher with the lower income population ADL estimates the total addressable market will grow at a 33% CAGR from 2022–2025 (excluding infrastructure and enabling technologies).” Dr. Albert Meige, Director of Blue Shift at Arthur D. Little, said: “The Metaverse provide a vision for the transition to a more connected, immersive and tech-driven world. It could also be a crucial accelerator in the search for tools that support the individual lifestyle of the next generation of consumers. It is increasingly clear that speeding up infrastructure enhancements to meet demand is not only essential but urgent, and the telecommunications sector is at the heart of this challenge. The aim of this Viewpoint is to spotlight key enablers and provide recommendations for telcos to unlock the potential of the Metaverse opportunity and help them enact a fast and equitable digital transition.”ADL Viewpoint explores the multifold benefits for telcos, from leveraging infrastructure to building new business models to capturing downstream value through active participation in the Metaverse as a “single point of service.” The Viewpoint underlines that speed is important in capturing the Metaverse opportunity, and spotlights that the Metaverse necessitates structural changes to the telecom industry on an infrastructure level and offers valuable economic and strategic benefits for those telcos that actively participate in it. Metaverse Requires Enabling TechnologiesTelcos will need to develop key enabling technologies — from infrastructure to artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics — to fully participate in the Metaverse, including the following:Local compute for a truly immersive experienceUltra-low-latency communications for a lag-free experienceEnhanced cloud computing for interactions on a mass scaleAnalytics & AI capabilities to facilitate telcos’ activitiesPrivacy & trust infrastructure to tame the regulatory “Wild West”ADL Viewpoint explores the multifold benefits for telcos, from leveraging infrastructure to building new business models to capturing downstream value through active participation in the Metaverse as a “single point of service.” With excellent customer understanding and trust alongside a fundamental role in enabling the Metaverse (infrastructure), telcos are well positioned to move through the value chain to capture a greater slice of the pie.