Dubai: Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, on Monday inaugurated the sixth edition of the Big Entertainment Show (BES) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The BES embraces three specialised events: the Dubai International Brand and Licensing Fair, Dubai World Game Expo and MYCONTENT.
Shaikh Majid then toured the exhibition area where he was introduced to over 120 local and international companies from 55 countries. Companies participating in the BES this year represent the fields of online games, cartoon characters, animation, and a number of TV production companies, broadcasters, film producers, mobile and digital content providers, trade companies, game developers, and application developers.
Shaikh Majid he was delighted by the success of the BES which has remarkable participation this year from South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Malaysia, Russia, Lebanon, Jordan, Hong Kong, Egypt, Germany, Portugal, India, UK, Turkey, USA, Japan and of course participation from the UAE.
Largest show in region
The Big Entertainment Show has become the largest show in the Middle East region specialised in Media and TV content, Character and Brand Licensing, Game Developing and Publishing and trading. The UAE has a big share in this industry and was ranked fifth largest in the Middle East for internet usage.
Tariq Al Madani, Managing Director of Index Conferences and Exhibitions, member of Index Holding, indicated that the BES recorded massive success in the past five years, and this is a promising indicator for the success of this industry and its prosperity in the region. “The online gaming industry is booming.
“The number of internet users in the Middle East reached 70 million this year, and is expected to reach 150 in 2015. Moreover, the revenues from the online gaming industry in the Middle East reached $100 million this year compared to $70 Million last year. Statistics also indicate that there are 2.89 million Arabic gamers playing on Facebook every month while the total number of Facebook users in the Middle East reached 24 million,” said Tariq.
A new exciting character launched at this year’s show is Al Muktashef Al Sagheer, designed and produced to enrich the early learning years of Arab children. Speaking on behalf of the project, Bushra Al Rahoomi said, “Al Muktashef Al Sagheer, or ‘Little Explorer’ will educate children about Arabic culture and heritage through immersive and interactive tools that will instil a lifelong interest in learning and complement children’s inquisitive nature by giving them the tools to embark on the exciting path of discovery in a digital age.”
The three seminars will present new techniques and updates in the industry. Topics such as current trends in drama production in the Arab world, basics of licensing and game development tools will be the main highlights of the first day.
Saad Saleh Al Hudaifi, JCC’s Acting Executive General Manager and Channels Director, said, “For the first time, BES and JCC will join forces in emphasising the importance of Arabic content and offerings that support values and culture of Arab families across the Mena region.
“The Big Entertainment Show is the leading entertainment content festival in the Mena region, thus our collaboration is the result of our joint goals and endeavours. This unique event is an ideal regional networking business platform that will additionally boost our visibility and impact in the children’s media industry. BES will open doors for us to present our offering and establish collaboration with regional retailers and licensees as well as strengthen our brand image in the region. By focusing on properties that are widely recognisable, we intend to go beyond broadcasting and retailing to provide a user experience that empowers our audience any time and any place.”
