UAE’s Motivate Media Group partners with Israel-based broadcaster i24 News

UAE-based Motivate Media Group – Gulf Business‘ parent organisation – has signed a partnership with Israel-based broadcaster i24 News to collaborate on producing and distributing content.

The partnership comes less than a year after the US-brokered Abraham Accords were signed, normalising relations between the UAE and Israel.

As part of the deal, both companies will partner on multiple fronts including producing new forms of content across digital, print and broadcast.

Based in Tel Aviv, i24 News was launched in 2013 but only started broadcasting in Israel four years later, in May 2017. It is available internationally in English, French and Arabic.

The memorandum of understanding with Motivate is one of several partnerships i24 has signed in the UAE. It has also partnered with broadcasters Abu Dhabi Media and Dubai Media, Gulf News newspaper, telecom providers Etisalat and du as well as the Dubai Ministry of Tourism.

According to Frank Melloul, CEO of i24 News, the company has also agreed to open an office in Dubai Media City, the first Israeli company to do so.

Ian Fairservice, managing partner and group editor of Motivate Media Group, said: “Having been privileged to witness the UAE’s amazing development since the 1970s, I’ve become accustomed to surprises. But who could have foreseen the signing of the Abraham Accords last August and the opportunities that this would open up for us all? Our strategic partnership with i24 and the opportunity to work with Frank and his incredibly talented team is one of the most exciting new developments for our group in many years. We are all delighted and excited to be playing a part in this unfolding story.”

Melloul added: “Motivate founder and CEO Ian Fairservice and I share the same vision. When he thinks about Motivate, he’s thinking about print, digital and events. I’m thinking about broadcast, digital and events. So, this partnership is complementary between print and broadcast, and we can be stronger together in digital and can organise events together.

He also stressed that the channel is looking to grow its presence in the region.

“The difference between the new Middle East and the old Middle East is before you had Arabic countries and Israel. Now Israel is part of this new environment and i24 News is here to show you the reality of this new environment, what is working, what is not working, what should be improved, and also to establish strong links between people. To connect Israel to the reality of the new Middle East and to connect the new Middle East to the reality of Israel.”