The UAE leads the Arab World in FM stations: Over 16% of FM stations in the region broadcast in the UAE.

New research by the Arab Advisors Group reveals that 93 major FM stations operate in seventeen covered Arab countries. UAE has the highest number followed by Lebanon. The region is undergoing a small boom in privately operated radio stations which is setting the stage for profit-seeking business models.

January 12, 2004 -

The Arab world has been undergoing a substantial change in the entertainment industry landscape. Radio broadcasting was the pioneer technology in the region especially in the 1940s and 1950s. Of late, a boom in radio broadcasting, in the form of high quality commercial local and international FM stations has been seen.

In most of the Arab countries, the radio broadcasting was first introduced by the colonial powers in charge, especially the French and British. The main reason for establishing radio stations was the spread of news to different parts of the country. People used to listen in mostly at café’s along the streets due to the limited amounts of receivers. The numbers of radio listeners increased substantially due to improvements in livings standards and increase in the number of cars and transportation vehicles that constitute a major portion of radio listeners.

A new comprehensive country report, “FM Radio in the Arab World” was released to the Arab Advisors Group’s Media Strategic Research Service subscribers on January 12, 2004. The 44-pages report –which has nine exhibits- gives a thorough overview of the radio landscape in the seventeen Arab countries of Jordan, Egypt, UAE, Algeria, Morocco, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, Tunisia, Bahrain, Palestine, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Libya, Kuwait and Yemen. This comprehensive report can be purchased from Arab Advisors Group for only US$ 950. Any investment in this report will count towards a Strategic Research Service – Media subscription should the service be acquired within three months from purchasing the report. The Arab Advisors Group is lending a special 33% discount on this report to its Strategic Research Service – Telecoms annual subscribers (US$ 640), and a 10% special offer to all non-subscription clients of Arab Advisors Group (US$ 855).

Purchasing the report also entails the ability to attend the Arab Advisors Group’s Media and Telecommunications Convergence Conference in June 2004 in Amman. Please contact the Arab Advisors Group to receive the reports Table of Contents.

“The Arab Advisors Group’s research shows that Lebanon and UAE host the highest number of FM stations: The UAE has over 15 major stations while Lebanon hosts over 9 FM stations. The reason of the large number of FM stations in UAE (mainly Dubai) is due to the fact that Dubai is a cosmopolitan city with big diversity in nationalities and tastes.” Wrote Arab Advisors Group Media Research Analyst, Judeh Siwady in the report. “The 1975 to 1989 civil war was a major reason for Lebanon’s high number of stations which is now sustained by the fact that Lebanon is a main entertainment center in the region and an attractive tourism destination. During the war a large number of FM stations were established unofficially, and after 1994 the government set clear regulations for telecommunications that led to the shutdown of many of the unlicensed stations.” Mr. Siwady added.

Arab Advisors Group’s “FM Radio in the Arab World” Media Report has three major sections that detail the operating each analyzed country’s radio history and profiles of its stations as well as the international radio stations that rebroadcast on FM in the Arab World.

This report comes as part of Arab Advisors Group’s continued research and analysis of the Arab communications, media and information technology markets. The Arab Advisors Group is organizing a Media and Telecommunications Convergence Conference in June 2004 in Amman under the patronage of his Excellency, Dr. Fawaz Zubi Jordan’s Minister of ICT.

The Arab Advisors Group’s team of analysts in the region has already produced more than 210 reports on the Arab World’s communications and media 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 has served more than 100 global and regional companies by providing reliable research analysis and forecasts of Arab communications markets to these clients.