Different nationalities and small players hit it big at last night’s Digital Studio Industry Leadership Awards held in Dubai.
The award ceremony attracted more than 300 of broadcasting’s bigwigs and unknowns from all parts of the Middle East to encourage smaller players in the industry as well as those outside the UAE.
Winners included Jordan’s Sawt al Madena Radio for best radio installation of the year, and the U.S. company Harris Middle East, which took home the final award of the evening for Vendor of the Year.
According to Vijaya Cherian, editor of Digital Studio magazine and a judge at the award show, the American company faced a lot of resistance when they first arrived on the Gulf’s broadcasting scene.
“Customers here weren’t sure how to receive them,” she said. The company persisted, boosting their investments in the region and sealing more deals to show their commitment to the industry in the Gulf.
Besides its many investments, the company has also strengthened its presence in the region through a team of Arabic-speaking personnel.
Ms. Cherian explains that the broadcasting industry just started growing here in the last couple of years, when suddenly companies around the world invested in the region and helped to bolster it.
“That’s why it’s important to award the innovators and frontrunners in the field, but also to encourage the small players who are just starting out,” she said.
Other winners include Saeed Salmeen Al-Murry for young filmmaker of the year, Ocean World Productions for Arabia’s Cycle of Life for best production of the year, and Filmworks – who filmed ‘Syriana’ in the region – for best production house of the year.
Digital Studio is published by ITP, which is also behind ArabianBusiness.com.
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