Spongebob looks to the Gulf

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MTV's Nickelodeon is expanding its brand throughout the Gulf with a theme park and hotel already planned for the region. Arabian Business reports on the arrival of the world's leading children's entertainment channel.

The colourful, cartoon character-filled launch of Nickelodeon Arabia last week is only the beginning of Bhavneet Singh's plans for the Middle East region.

The managing director of MTV Networks International Emerging Markets can't wait to introduce the various brands within one of the company's biggest businesses - Nickelodeon - to the region.

MTV Networks has three different divisions: a youth portfolio, a kids and family group, and the entertainment group.

"The kids and family group is one of our biggest businesses across the world," says Singh.

"We want to offer consumers here the ability to interface with any of the Nickelodeon offerings on any platform that they choose."

Nickelodeon Arabia is MTV Network's second channel launch in the region, following the MTV Arabia music channel last year.

The company is not alone in its appetite for viewers from the region.

This year saw an influx of international television and entertainment companies launching free-to-air channels and signing deals with local partners. Newcomers include Fox Movies as well as India's hit entertainment channels NDTV and INX.

Alongside other emerging markets, the Middle East in general and the Gulf states in particular, have become a main attraction for TV and production companies as they look to cash in on the region's accumulating petrodollars.

"A lot of economic growth, especially on the back of the petrodollar boom, is coming out of this region," says Singh.

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